Aftermath
by pandoralovey
Summary: It's been three months since she left when two bodies are found on the border, one with a stake in his heart and the other a girl with a bruised and marked neck that stayed at his side. Will Lissa and Adrian be able to handle it? is Rose really dead? R
1. She's dead

**Adrian's POV**

The gavel clanked and rang in our ears as the judge brought it down. After three months of arguing and fighting the judge had finally come to a decision. The battles the rate of decease of dhamphir and moroi had convinced everyone that they were not yet ready to be let out into the world just yet. They decided to extend novice through the summer. Everyone was sick of death around here.

"Adrian?" Whispered the Dragomir princess and a close friend. I turned and put on my best I'm-happy-despite-the-circumstances face. It was all we could ever do to make her feel safe these days. "Will she ever come home?" No one ever dared mention the name around the academy or around Lissa; all accept my incredibly insensitive aunt, the queen. The thought of her name made my heart hurt.

It had been three months tomorrow that she left to hunt down Dimitri Belikov. I was the one who funded this little trip of hers and I questioned myself for it everyday. I never told anyone that I'd given her the money to leave, Lissa would have my head, so it just ate me up inside. This had been the first time in weeks that Lissa had mentioned her non-existent best friends and talking about it always brought tears to her eyes.

"Yes cousin, someday she will return." It tried smiling but I knew pain leaked through so I tried to hold a neutral face. "Let's go home." Home really wasn't what it was; after all they'd run away once before and now half of a second time, but it was the closest thing any of us had anymore. It was all we had left of her. Left of the girl I loved, left of Lissa's closest thing to a sister left of hope.

Left of Rose.

Lissa tugged on her quiet boyfriends sleeve and pulled him along as we left. We all stayed silent on the way to the jet. Ozera had finally gotten over his magical jealousy and we managed to be friends but loosely. At least he wasn't glaring and planning my perfect demise every minute of the day anymore.

Alberta, Stan, and a new Guardian added to the academy's staff, Tanya, were all waiting for us outside and the foot of the plane. "Five minutes, let's get going," Alberta shouted to us as we excited the building. We slowly loaded the plane that would take us back to St. Vladimir's Academy.

Mia had returned to the academy after her father went on an expedition in the Amazon with the Moroi he worked for. Her, Christian and a few others practiced using their elemental magic from time to time. Eddie was there too and would soon become Lissa's Guardian after graduation my request of the princess.

When the plane landed it was the middle of the night for us, aka the middle of the sunlight day. We can handle a bit of sunlight, but just in case, we rushed to the campus and split to our private dorms. Lissa and Christian went to the novice dorms while I ambled my way toward the guest area. But something pulled me in the opposite direction, to the Guardian building. It was past curfew so most everyone was a sleep but inside the door I heard whispers. I snuck up to the main door, which was cracked and pressed my face against the glass.

"…Yep, two of them found right on the border…Coroner identified one as Belikov no doubt." Stan Alto informed. "The other was a bit difficult, her neck was purple and blue from being fed on, cuts and bruises all over her body…" No. "Torn clothes, dark hair." No. "She was so desecrated that they couldn't get a facial match. But the star and two marks on her neck gave her away." No. "It was Hathaway."

No!


	2. Dealing

Lissa's POV

I was on my way to my dorm after leaving Christian at the midpoint between the two. Something felt strange but I couldn't quite make it out. I checked around the hallway but when I saw nothing I opened the door and entered the room I entered so many times. I pulled the tie out of my hair and set it on the desk, took off my shoes and sat down on the bed. About ready to crash the sound of pounding on my door really pushed my buttons. I considered ignoring it until morning but the pounding came urgently so I got up and turned the knob. After the door came loose it swung open.

Adrian stumbled in, his face and eyes were red and tears poured out his eyes. When he made it in I closed the door behind him. He fell to the ground and sat against eh wall and whimpered. "Adrian, what happened?" I asked. I knelt down next to him and patted his should. "Adrian?"

"She's dead, Liss, she's dead. They found her." There was only one person that could make Adrian this way, only one person that could cause this much pain inside him. Tears welled in my eyes and I croaked, she was dead, I'd lost my best friend. Life stopped, life ended, everything- over. Rose was gone.

_I'm sorry._

Christian's POV

When I woke up for the next day it was dark as it should be but something felt so wrong. There were no classes on Sunday so I went to find Lissa. I started with her dorm room, no one questioned me when I went in the building or going upstairs, I found her door and gently opened it hoping to find her awake. But what I saw, I wish I hadn't.

Lissa was sitting on the floor leaning on Adrian, asleep. Her face was red and dried tear stuck to her face. He was awake and staring at the wall across the room when I asked, "What the hell is going on in here?"

Adrian did not move, did not blink and did not change. He stared at the wall and said, "Never can pain heal from the death of a loved one. Never will it cease to ache. If life is measured in quality, then life is over."

He continued to stare. "What are you talking about Adrian?" I exclaimed.

Finally he moved, turning his head to look at me with pain in his eyes and sorrow masking his face. "She's dead." I knew he could only mean one person. He meant Rose.

Somehow by the end of the day everyone knew about Rose and Guardian Belikov. Because of their status in the vampire world and a few strings pulled, a funeral was being held at the royal court. News traveled so fast among us.

I hadn't seen Adrain since he left this morning or Mia or Eddie today. Lissa refused to come out of her room and locked me into the hallway. I felt the grief to, though obviously not as strong, and it hurt worse to see Lissa like this. She refused to come out and feed or eat and soon I would have to resort to burning down the door to get her out if she wouldn't come out on her own.

I begged and begged for her to come out but she just wouldn't. Finally after straight pleading with her I said something that changed it all. "Come on Liss, Rose wouldn't want you like this." I heard her whimpers and sniffles stop. The locked clicked on the door and the knob turned, finally she faced me with broken red eyes. But the sorrow had briefly left her face before she screamed at me. "And what the hell would you know about what Rose would have wanted? Huh? You two were always at odds! Maybe if you were nicer she would have been happier to stay instead of leave me! Now she's dead!" Kidney shot much.

"She was going to leave anyway Lissa. It wasn't about you! It was about him! She loved him, she promised him she would do this and she succeeded. She just didn't have enough in her to survive! Stop blaming me or Adrian or yourself, it was her choice and you know it."

She broke into sobs again and fell into my arms. I pulled her inside with me and closed the door where I sat with her until she drifted into silent sleep.

Eddie's POV

Saturday, I got food poisoning from some rancid chicken that one of the student brought back from a restaurant outside of town. I stayed in bed for the rest of the night and most of the day Sunday until I started feeling better.

I hadn't left my room all day but I heard whispers in the hall all day. As I was getting ready to leave someone knocked on my door, I let him in. "Hey Ed," Adam, a junior dhamphir greeted.

"Yeah, Adam, what's up?"

"Well, I've been hearing it all day and considering she was your friend I thought you might want to know that Rose Hathaway is dead. You didn't hear yet?" Everything froze. I couldn't move. I wanted him to repeat himself to make sure I heard what I heard but I didn't not mistake him. He spoke plain and clear.

I wasn't out of the building fast enough. I was still in sweatpants and a T-shirt but I didn't care as I sprinted cross campus to the guest housing. I ran up to the third floor stairs and swung the door open when I reached it. The lights were off, only a candle in the corner lit up anything. In the dimness of it all I saw Adrian hunched over in the corner surrounded by bottles. Some empty, some full, most were empty. "Is it true?" I asked.

He nodded and took another swig. "They tortured her. The only way to identify was by her marks." I cracked open another bottle, sat next to him and took a swig. Something I swore to never do as a Guardian.


	3. Dead and gone

**Thanks for the reveiws guys. Heres the next chapter. enjoy!!**

**Rose's POV**

Dimitri was dead. I killed him.

All I could think about was what if I changed my mind? What if I had let him awaken me? What if I could be with him forever? I could have my forever after with the man I loved. But I couldn't because it was my duty to protect Lissa and continue on no matter what. No matter the pain I felt. He had to die and I had to live.

Not for long though, apparently.

It was just like being back in Spokane, only the strigoi didn't want to kill me, he wanted me to join him willingly. But if I didn't give him the go ahead soon he was doing it anyway or eating, whichever he felt in the mood for.

They got me not even minutes after I staked Dimitri. So many Strigoi across America and Europe feared my name. I had been a rampage of slayings that left behind no trace due to the Alchemists that practically followed me through Europe. They were humans, cleaners for the messes that vampires left. I had left so many bodies all over the place leading to Dimitri. If they didn't recognize my face they definitely recognized the dozens of marks I had all over my back and neck.

About that… I never returned to anything connected to normal life among my kind. A few cities after I left St. Vlads I met another dhampir named James. He was a ex-guardian that took pride in his work and was an incredible artist. Drawing my Molinja marks, he said, were like his greatest masterpiece. I allowed him to draw exotic designs that incorporated a mark for every strigoi kill I'd made. Any time I killed another one he insisted on adding the marks immediately.

The marks were essentially beautiful but they were also like a big flashing sign that read "hey I'm Rose Hathaway come eat me." They were the reason I was recognized and captured but thankfully they were the only things still keeping me alive down here. The head strigoi, Niefro (weird name I know, but I don't pick them), thought of me as an incredible asset if I willingly joined so he kept me around for a little while so I could make my decision. I was about ready to give up and die until they came.

I was stuck down in that hole of a cave for two days before I saw anything. One of the strigoi was in the mood for a snack and I was the only prisoner so I was it. He left me alive, barely, and that's when I decided to let go and die. I lay for hours staring at the wall when I heard footsteps. They were coming from the only open passage to the outside and seemed to be heavy. I spun in the dirt and sat up. One strigoi was carrying two people down the cave, he dropped them in the door way and they scurried together off into the corner opposite to me. When the strigoi left I spoke. "Who are you?" I meant for them to hear but it came out as a choke and I had to repeat my self.

"Andrew and Damon Zeklos." The younger of the two stuttered. And that's when I realized I would have to live. I had to get them out of here to safety. _They come first. _This was going to be difficult_. _"How long have you been here?"

"A while," I croaked. "Not for much longer though, I'm getting us out of here. Where am I dropping you off?"

"Nowhere," Andrew said. "They killed the rest of our family, burned down our home. Our Guardians were killed. We have nothing to go back to. Wherever we go is where we end up. Where are you headed?"

"After this, the royal court."

"Then we'll go with you there and figure things out form there. How are you getting us out?

"I sighed. "I'm working on it."


	4. Escape, with a little help

**Rose's POV**

I tried sleeping in intervals over the next few days so I could attempt locking on to Adrian. Maybe someone there could help. Regardless, first I had to contact him but he was probably so drunk that he couldn't access spirit so I slept in darkness. I tried breaking through the mental walls I'd made for the bond but Lissa was sleeping.

When I opened my eyes the Zeklos twins were asleep in the corner opposite of me. With what both they and I remember of the layout of the cave I'd thought of plan to get us out of there. All I needed was a distraction to keep the strigoi off our backs for just a few seconds for us to get out. The caves didn't go that deep and only two passages and a main cave stood between us and out.

"Do either of you specialize in fire?" I asked at some point when we were all awake.

"I never specialized," Damon said. "But Andrew specialized in fire." Never specialized huh? Maybe they should just stick with me. If they came back to the academy Lissa and Adrian could help them that is if I made it out with them. But a fire user gave us advantage.

Andrew spoke next. "If you're wondering if I can set any of the strigoi on fire the answer is definitely. I will do anything for us to get out of here and after the Ozera verses the queen controversy a lot of student tried practicing their magic more intensively. I accidentally set the dorms on fire at one of the practices but a water user put them out." This was great news to my ears.

Strigoi stopped in for a snack every once in a while but not too often, which gave us more time to plan. It had been almost a week for us and the strigoi were starting to get restless. Niefro warned me that I had only a day to decide and then it was up to the rest of his pack whom would most likely just eat me.

We were running out of time when the most unthinkable happened- a imitation of a bird caw echoed through the caves and I only knew one person who constantly followed me and could communicate through only straight bird calls. It was the half Italian free lancer Guardian James tattooist and he had come for me. When this was over I was so going to buy him an art studio even if I had to work it off my entire life.

I cawed back in the proper response that he had taught me- a yellow belly horn thatch. He responded with the same sound before the sounds of rocks crashing against the floor and yelling from dead mouths. Well, sort of dead. "Now," I told Andrew and Damon who were on edge. We were to our feet in seconds and running down the first passage. I checked around the corners, which were clear, before we continued. The brothers stayed at my heels though their breathing made it obvious it was hard for them to keep up. I slowed to match them but not enough to keep us from safety.

We were coming around the next corner when a strigoi jumped out at us. Andrew jumped but the strigoi caught fire. I kicked him and he stumbled back. Then I twirled around him until I got a good angle to grab his neck and snap it. He wouldn't stay dead long but it was long enough to make it out. We continued down into the main corridor shaped like a dirt dome with only oval leading to the light. Once we hit the light, we would be safe because the strigoi couldn't follow us into sun, they would die.

Three strigoi including Niefro were circled around James who was dancing around landing kicks and blows left and right. I noticed something shiny on the floor, something silver, not magical silver just silver. But I knew what it was. When I had been hunting Dimitri I had only carried two weapons with me- a silver stake and a silver dagger that I had picked up on my way to Russia. It may not be magical but it was really sharp and pretty lucky. They must have found it when they brought me here. "Get to the exit. Don't stay, keep running until you reach a town never look back," I said. I pushed Damon and Andrew and they began running as fast as they could to the oval of light.

I ran towards James and scooped up the knife on the way. One of the strigoi had him pinned to the dirt wall. I plunged the dagger into the hear of a very surprised strigoi that crumpled to the ground, he wouldn't be dead because the knife wasn't magical but he wouldn't be getting back up any time soon. Niefro was pinning James to the wall and with his stake, James stabbed Niefro in the heart with his loose hand and together we faced the last strigoi. But he wasn't about ready to fight a stake, two guardians, one of which was one of the currently most feared free lancers. He spun on a heel and disappeared into the darkness in less than a second.

Desperate to get out of there, we sprinted to the exit where the brothers were waiting for us. "Zelklos I'm going to kill you for not following orders. Do it again and I kill you myself." Their faces paled as they took me seriously. "Kidding, but don't do it again."

"Who are you people?" Damon asked.

"James Maron and Hathaway, Rose Hathaway." I smiled. "How'd you know?" I said to James.

"Rose you are my obsession, I will always know where to find you. Weather you're at the ends of the earth or just next door, I'll find you. Now let's get out of here before the rest of them emerge from the caves. I don't want to be around for that." No one did and just from the déjà vu I almost cried but I held it in and led the way like a good soldier always should.


	5. Late for a funeral

**James' POV**

After I helped Rose get the two moroi boys out of the caves an hands of the strigoi we didn't stop running until we hit a city. Once we got there we stopped at a hotel and I picked up my car in an abandoned lot I'd found and we were reading to go in the morning.

The city was just inside of the US border in the state of Minnesota. To make it to the royal court we would have to drive down to Pennsylvania near the Pocono Mountains. The problem would probably by trying to get in without any kind of ID. Maybe Rose's reputation would work…

In the morning Rose was up before anyone. She sat awake in the living room sipping instant coffee from a foam cup in a pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt that I picked up for her at the store on the way back from getting the car. "Morning Rose," I said to her.

She still stared out the window when she said, "Morning James. I'll wake up Andrew and Damon in a few minutes so we can get going." On the counter was a piece of cardboard holding three other foam cups filled with an easily smelled coffee. She finished off her coffee and dropped the cup in the trashcan on her way to the hallway. I took one of the cups form the counter and sat on the couch. When Rose returned Andrew and Damon were slugging around behind her rubbing their eyes. "Coffee's on the counter, we leave in twenty. You can sleep in the car if you're still tired." She stopped turned and went back down the hall to change into her day clothes I also picked up on the way. What can I say, I'm always prepared.

That twenty minutes later Rose reappeared from the bedroom with jeans and shoes on. "Let's go." I led them out to the black mustang my friend Quincy bought for me a few years ago. The boys commented on how awesome it was but I didn't really care, a car was a car to me. "You're staying with us right? You're not just going to leave once we reach the royal court?" Rose asked a little on edge, worried I would leave without warning. I pondered but she interrupted. "You know, what if I kill another strigoi, do you want someone to mess up your masterpiece?" She was right, even though I hated to admit that she was always right and I didn't want that to happen she was really good at this.

I sighed. "Fine, I'll stay but I'll be a reject."

"I have friends that will make you a guardian wherever you want, just do as I say and you will stick around." She smiled and got into the passenger seat. The boys got into the back and I turned the key to bring the car to life and we set off and another one of Rose and I's adventures.

Sort of.

**Rose's POV**

The drive took two days straight with James and I switching driving shifts. But that was the easy part. When we got to the gate/ward entrance to the royal court in the middle of nowhere the guards had some serious questions. "Name?"

"Guardian James Maron," he flashed his promise mark that basically meant nothing since he dropped guarding a while ago. But he would be starting again hopefully. "Rose, Andrew and Damon Zeklos." Technically he didn't lie, I mean I wasn't a Zeklos but he didn't specifically say I was. "Found them hidden in some caves on the border, bein' held by strigoi they were. Need to take them in and make sure they will be taken care of." The Guard nodded.

"Will you be staying for the memorial service?" He asked.

"Whose service?" James replied.

"Dimitri Belikov and Rose Hathaway's, I think. Apparently a damn tragedy that the both of them are dead but I only knew them by reputation. Did you know them?"

I had almost screamed. I wanted to ask what he was talking about but he obviously didn't know what he was talking about. My heart beat three times faster then it should have and I had to hide my face to not give my lie away. "Guess you could say that," I answered to his question.

"Let 'em through!" he shouted back to the stand where his partner was waiting for him to wave us along. James rolled up the window as we passed and I finally let out the breath I was holding in.

Andrew spoke up from the back. "Didn't you say you're name is Rose Hathaway?"

"Yes I am. There has to be some mistake I'm not dead. Dimitri is, but I'm not. How could they think that!" I wanted to scream yell and kick. But I also had a question for the bumbling blokes- why was a memorial service for _me_ being held at the royal court? The queen despised me. Dimitri on the other hand I might understand, but _me_? I could only think of one answer. "Adrian," I whispered. Oh no. Everyone thought I was dead. Lissa must be killing herself for this.

Driving in I recognized people like Guardians from the academy, students I knew, other people I'd met and people I didn't that were there for my lost love. I didn't see ay of the ret of the Belikov family though, Vik wouldn't have come after what happened in Siberia so maybe when they got the news they had their own service. I noticed Tasha Ozera but Christian was most likely with Lissa.

I was glad the windows were tinted at the moment, I felt like this was my walk of shame, again. James drove around the building. "Sorry Rose," James said. I almost asked him what but he didn't stop. "I forgot too tell you that the strigoi left a decoy body so the world would think you're dead. I didn't think it would be found so I didn't tell you. My bad."

Rage filled me and I punched him in the arm. "That might have been nice to know! Next time tell me if someone is trying to fake my own death." I punched him again. "And sure nobody would ever find two rotting corpses on the border. Nobody is ever a mile away from the city hiking the most popular trail in the area!"

"Ow, and I'm sorry. I didn't know." I glared. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

"Dude, I think she might kill you," said Damon. I snorted.

James parked and I took a deep breath before getting out of the safe zone. We walked around to the entrance. The grievers had all gone inside already and we were next to crash the party. I slowly followed behind some moroi dressed in all black; they lead us to a set of double doors that I'm sure led to a big room. I let them go in and stopped at the door wondering how I would do this. Dramatic? Or mellow? Obnoxious? Or calm? I made my decision and motioned someone to open the door to give me a bit of a push to do it.

Damon and Andrew each took a door and pushed them all the way open. In the front of the room an old balding man stepped up on stage to say of few words. It took me a moment to realize it was Guardian Stan Alto, a teacher I had always been at odds with and he looked terrible. "Thank you ladies and gentlemen. Today we are here to honor two great people. Dimitri Belikov who was a friend to many in our world and his student Rose Hathaway." He paused when the doors clicked to the wall from the brothers opening them. "Can I help you?" I strutted forward with James, almost a foot taller, at my side and the Zeklos brother flanking us. As we got closer to the crowd I heard gasps.

"Yeah I think you could help me Alto. I'm looking for Lissa Dragomir." Gasps, whispers, and near faints reminded me of the day Lissa first came back to the Academy form our two year vacation.

Stan's hand flew to cover his mouth and he stared at me with wide eyes. "Am I seeing a ghost," he said.

"Nah ghosts look a bit different in my experience. It's me in the flesh and I think y'all have the wrong gall in there." I pointed to the coffins up front.


	6. Back to where it began

**Thanks to those of you who noted that 4 and 5 were the same I accidentally hit the wrong upload chapter so my bad. Thanks for the reviews and I will be hoping for more soon.**

**Rose's POV**

"H-how?"

"Well I'm thinking the strigoi set out a bit of a decoy and you all fell for it. I can't believe you didn't know me any better." I sighed. I heard Lissa and Adrian's voice push through the crowd. When I saw Lissa's face it was like looking into a dream, not one of the dreams Adrian created for me when he had the chance. A dream that I couldn't believe, I could never believe and yet I was living it. She was my best friend, my sister and now I was home. "Hey Liss."

She was already crying but as she attacked me with hugs she broke into sobs crying that I wasn't dead, I was home, she was sorry, and she missed me. "Can't breathe. I thought you wanted me alive Liss." She apologized and loosened her grip on my shoulders. I was in Adrian's arms next, he was crying whispering something I could not understand.

Eddie grabbed me while Adrian was still attached but letting go. "Welcome back Hathaway." I felt the pain his voice as he chocked back tears. They all hurt so much and it was my fault for getting my dumbass caught. My fault for leaving evidence. My fault for leaving them in the first place.

Christian hugged me next but when he pulled away it was to punch me in the arm and threaten me. "If you ever- ever- do that again, I'll bring you back and kill you myself," he joked.

"You'd have to get in line Ozera," Adrian said glaring at me, but it softened into a hopeful smile. He was genuinely happy that I was back. Maybe he wasn't what I expected, an arrogant royal that was only chasing me for sex. I mean I guess I always knew but I never wanted to believe it, especially not while I was gone. I hated leaving them behind and another person to let down wasn't good for anyone. "Anyways I won't let her leave this time. I'll drag by tooth or nail to stay. I don't care."

"I'm not leaving again. It's over. It's all over," I sighed and they all attacked me with a group hug.

While at court for the rest of the day and overnight the next Alberta and Stan got me through the paperwork to put me back into school so I could graduate. I also had to explain everything to my friends and teachers. I told them everything from the day I left to the day I showed back up at my own funeral. (Now I could say I was the kind of person to be late to my own funeral, because I had been.) I left out the details of our past discretions and relationship that was a bit more than teacher to student. Though Adrian, Lissa, Christian, and Eddie had all knew about because they communicated like normal people who had trouble keeping their mouths shut when they were drunk or in pain.

Adrian used his convincing skills and maybe some compulsion to get James back into Guardian-ship and working at the school. And surprisingly the Zeklos twins, Andrew and Damon, had no place to go and decided to transfer to St Vlads for the remainder of the year until something could be arranged for them. Their entire family was slaughtered in the attack that took them, including all of their Guardians. The strigoi kept them as a little snack for later where they ended up stuck in the cave with me until we escaped.

Stan and Alberta had kept me up the whole night so I slept on the plane. Adrian didn't visit while I was asleep and no one woke me until we were about to land. "Rose," Adrian whispered into my ear as the plane touched down. "We're here. Time to wake up, you can go back to sleep when you get to your room." My eyes fluttered open and the light glared in my eyes until Adrian moved in its way.

"Oh my, I forgot about that!" Alberta exclaimed from the seat ahead of us. "I knew I had forgotten something. Your stuff was moved into storage by request of the princess and your dorm taken. You don't have a room at the moment." She said with her head turned to us looking disappointed in her self. "I'm so sorry I forgot."

"It's ok," I said before she continued. "There has to be an empty dorm somewhere I can crash in right?" I smiled and looked confident but Alberta's disposition stayed.

"Actually with the grades moving around early and transfers, all of the female novice dorms have been full for the first time in years." I gaped, that was un heard of, a dorm building filled with dhampir girls. There were so little of us all around the world that it just wasn't possible. There were always extra rooms, always. "Also the extras are storages for the clutter after the battle. We've gotten an excess of stakes that have filled a room from top to bottom."

"She can sleep in my room for the night," Adrian offered. "I don't have a problem and she needs a place to sleep. I would be honored to," he said practically making it final himself then and there. Before I left I would have made a smartass comment and searched the entire night until I found a different place to sleep but now I really didn't care. I was just too tired to argue with anything that wasn't too drastic.

"Sounds fin as long as I get some Z's before facing the school…again. God I hate dramatic entrances. This is going to be so much fun don't you think." I said with my famous Rose attitude even though it was a little choppy with the lack of sleep.

From ahead Andrew had walked back and was waiting to say something. "We've landed," he said when I stared. "We can get off now," he added with a laugh.

We dispersed, grabbing any items that we had brought (though I had nothing). I leaned on James as he walked out of the plane and he became a very good mobile pillow. Alberta and San took James to the Guardians quarters where he would be introduce to the rest of the staff while Christian kissed Lissa goodbye to show the twins to the male moroi dorms. Lissa left on her own and only Christian and I were left.

"Ready to go little dhampir?" he asked.

"More than." He grabbed my arm and put it around my shoulders for me to lean on him. He led us back to the guest housing on the west of the upper classman side of the campus. If he said something I didn't catch it, I was too bust staring at the home I had returned too. The wrought iron gates, the tiny gardens and courtyards. The feeling of a college campus rather than a high school, the fresh Montana air in the middle of nowhere and the sweet feeling that I was finally safe and I didn't have to look over my shoulder every minute which I had developed a habit of doing outside the academy.

When we got to Adrian's room he flipped on the lights and led me to the back. I had been in his apartments before, but never in his bedroom, if I was ever there which had been very rare, I would be in his living room or his door yelling at him for some reason. The sheets were red silk and the covers were as soft as. The walls were painted with gold and maroon and the desk beside the bed that held a lamp was made of deep mahogany. The room was so simple but so beautiful. On the nightstand was a picture frame, as we got closer I saw that it was a picture of us- Adrian and I- at the ski lodge. It was inside and he was talking to me while I stood and looked annoyed in the lodge lobby. It was a captured moment of the day we first met.

He must have paid someone to find it for him.

He made me sit on the bed and I slid to the top and then under the covers. "Oh how long I've waited for you to be in my bed little dhampir," he said with his big toothy grin.

"I don't have the patience for your jokes tonight. I don't want you to be uncomfortable but if you keep pulling that I'll kick your butt off the bed. Got it?" I yawned on the last sentence.

"Hey this is my bed remember, I offered it to you…And is that an offer to share with me?" He held his hand to his throat pretending to be utterly shocked out of his mind.

"Not if you keep it up," I smiled.

"Well then I'll just have to keep my mouth shut. But then again when have I ever. Sleep little dhampir there will be plenty of time to bug you in the later days. Now we have so much time together. See you in your dreams." He said just before my eyes closed and I drifted into sleep but Adrian's visit was not what surprised me into waking up the next morning, it was the dream that my own mind created while I had been away, one I was definitely not expecting to return.

**Well thanks again for the heads up on the repeat. Review and have a great Halloween. Next chapter will be up in the next day, maybe two. ******


	7. Dreams and memories

OMG computer malfunction put me so behind im so sorry guys. But theres quite a bit this time so read and review. Will be posting again soonRose's POV

When Adrian came he only stayed a few minutes to sit with me on the beach and watch the sun set. He kissed my forehead and I drifted into the normal blackness of sleep. That was until my own dream came along. It was a dream that first came to me a few weeks after leaving the academy.

_I was in the plane, seat 2b and I was on my way to Russia to kill the man I had loved for so long. I had sobbed the nights before but that was over now, he was a strigoi, a disgrace to nature and he was just another one of _them_ to destroy. Only I would be taking care of his specifically because while he was alive we promised each other we wouldn't let the other become the thing we hated most, undead. So, now I was set off to kill him with the crazy stalker spirit user Adrian funding my trip._

_When the plane was fully boarded someone had sat next to me. Flying first class would have been great other than the fact that I didn't have enough money to blow on simple pleasure but now I was thinking that maybe I should have. The 6'4" man with dark tanned skin, chocolate hair, and silver eyes, who sat beside me, was a dhampir. And not just any dhampir, he gave off that feel of protection that a Guardian would. That feeling of being safe even if you didn't know who he was. It scared me to think that he was there to follow me but he said nothing, did nothing and only sat in his seat with an old book that was falling apart._

_I stayed on guard when the plane landed for the first stop in Italy but still nothing happened. It had seemed that time had stopped on the plane, we were silent and not even the rest of the passengers seemed to make any noise besides the crunching of peanuts. I left my molnija mark covered with my hair and pretended to listen to music the entire time even though I was listening for him to say anything to anyone, but he never did. When I got to Russia I managed to find Dimitri's family but they hadn't heard anything from them. It took all of my power to tell them what had happened back at the academy, but they welcomed me into their home and practically adopted me as their new daughter, sister, and aunt. But eventually I had to leave them to continue my search for Dimitri._

_We danced around the cities circling Siberia. I had a strange feeling that the whole time I was being watched, being followed but I never felt the nausea that came with a strigoi presence. Finally I pulled the oldest trick in the book and ran around a corner but waited on the other side for the man form the plane to pretend to casually stride his way around the block. I caught him and questioned him and he told me he had been following me because of reputation. Directly hitting Russia I had been on a rampage trying to find Dimitri killing any strigoi I could get my hands on. He wanted me to be his masterpiece, his greatest work of art and one of the most known killers of the undead._

_I let him tag along and he came in very useful in killing the strigoi and collecting information and in return I let him tattoo my molnija marks all over my back. It was the first night that I let him draw the marks that the first dream came._

_I sat on the cradle chair, shirt off, bra unhooked, but I held a sheet around my front. As he drew the marks, my back burned and stung in pain, I held in any cries as I had for weeks already. "Are you alright?" he asked with his slight English accent. It was a beautiful accent._

_"I'm fine," I said without letting my voice crack._

_"Okay, I'm almost done for tonight." His needles buzzing came to its final stop and I sighed with relief. "There, all done. Would you like to see or should I just wrap it up?" He asked. I told him I didn't want to see it, he covered the tattooed part of my shoulder and back with bandages, hooked my bra for me and turned around after handing me my shirt. "You should show off a bit more. Great body like yours and all," he said with a bit of a laugh when he turned to see me fully covered._

_"Used to, all the time."_

_"Wish I was there for that." His huge flirty grin made me laugh. His attitude now reminded me of Adrian except he wasn't pushing for anything more than flirting and friendship, like Eddie or Mason._

_Mason. I missed him so much, I still felt guilty like it was my fault that he died. I should have prevented it. We should have never gone down there, never gone to Spokane, never even should have told him. Never made him believe I liked his so much back._

_A tear streaked down my face. I was hoping James wouldn't see, but he did. He came forward and wrapped his arms around me, giving me comfort. I cried more and he sat with me on the bed until I fell asleep._

_That was the first time I had the dream._

It was almost the same as before.

I opened my eyes from the darkness to the cold smell of mountain air. We were in some mountain cabin, a cabin without any apparent heat. The fire crackling in the corner dimly lighted the room. "Caccia? What is wrong?" He whispered, using the Italian word for _fighter_, when I shivered in amazement and wonder and cold.

"Cold." I sat on the couch shivering as he occupied the floor with a blanket.

He sighed picking himself up and sliding on to the couch next to me. He carefully wrapped the blanket around the both of our bodies and his arms encircle me. "Warm yet?" He asked. He was genuinely sweet, not like Adrian usually had been before I left.

"That's a bit better, but it's so cold tonight. Why did we even come here in the first place?" I shivered and snuggled closer to him with my head to his chest.

"Why are you asking me, it is your dream?" he said but I ignored it. I didn't not control my body when my face reached up to kiss him. It was like watching in third person as my face swooped up and grabbed his by the lips. Not to say that I didn't like it, because it was actually nice, but it was wrong. Wrong for me, wrong for him, and everything. I wanted to pull away but I was just drawn in closer until something grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him off the couch and threw him across the room.

That was where the dream took a drastic turn, it wasn't anyone who broke up the weird little love scene, it was Dimitri. "No!" I realized I'd screamed after the fact. I scrambled over to James who was crumpled against the wall in a broken fashion with his arm twisted the wrong way. "James," I whispered but when he tried to answer and moved he gasped in pain. The agony in his eyes made my heart break even if I didn't know why.

Something made me turn and glare at the curious looking strigoi Dimitri behind me. "What are you doing Roza?" he asked in a terribly angry voice, using the name he once called me because he loved me so much. "You betray me so soon?"

"Get out of my head!" I screeched at him. "You're dead because I killed you! Leave me alone!" I got up and shoved him but he did not notice the force behind it. He almost flew, pushing me to the wall and holding me by the throat.

"I gave you the chance Roza, now you will turn with or without consent and you will be mine forever!" he tipped my head and crushed his teeth to my neck as I let out a blood curdling scream. But it was useless because James was the only one around and his eyes had rolled into he back of his head.

_It's just a dream, it's just a dream. He has no power, I have the control here. Adrian! Help me!_

I jerked awake into the dark room I had been shown too last night. Adrian was next to me staring widely at me with his hand on my shoulder. Sweat matted hair to my face and my lungs were at loss of air. I was breathing hard when Adrian asked what was wrong. "He'll never leave," I whimpered falling back into his arms.


	8. Oohs and awes

**Rose's POV**

Time for the walk, volume two. I had to get to Kirova's office and sign the last few papers and get my class assignments again. I had woken up in Adrian's arms early that morning and even with his comfort I couldn't get back to sleep so Lissa had to bring down some makeup that she had kept for me in her room. Adrian got my clothes washed do I could wear them today before the dug out my stuff from storage. So once I was dressed, with some cover up under my eyes I made the walk across campus.

I made Adrian stay behind, he'd already done enough this morning, but James was going to visit Kirova's office as well so he escorted me there. The way to Kirova's office was through the main building . through the cafeteria going the short way. I wasn't about to try and hide this time around, now instead of a stupid run-away, I was bad ass Rose Hathaway, mess with me- get your ass kicked. That's how it always worked and that's how it always would from now on out.

I saw few faces in the hallways and just like before they dropped what they were doing to turn and stare as I walked pass. I kept my head up and trudged forward hoping that it would be over soon and I could go back to normal again. But when did anything go normal for me here, or Lissa.

The Cafeteria came next. It was the worst. I unblocked the bond and realized Lissa and Christian wouldn't be waiting to see me in there. They were with Eddie in the courtyard finishing their Slavic art homework which they had put off for the funeral. James opened the door and held it open for me and followd but caught my pace in a second. Though no one would know him here yet this must have been hard for him too, he had cut out this world from his own for so long. For him it was the same and I could see the tension in his eyes even though he kept the straight Guardian face.

As I entered the room went silent, then gasps, and the whispers. They all stared, they all questioned, they all judged. All accept two familiar faces that wouldn't do any of that because they had seen James and I in action in the past weeks. Andrew and Damon Zeklos were sitting at a table with none other than their cousin whose name made me want to punch something. You guessed it.

Jesse.

Jesse stared wide-eyed when they got up to come over and talk to us. But then again so did the entire cafeteria. "Good morning Rose, Guardian Maron," said both of the twin in sync. Ah twins.

"Good morning boys. How are you guys doing? Settling in okay?" I asked. James stayed silent.

"We're fine Rose," Andrew said. "We're safe now thanks to you two. But let us now when you'll be around for lunch. Our cousin is not the most tolerable." I couldn't help but laugh.

"And he talks about you so… badly. What happened here before?" Damon asked.

"I'll tell you later. Go to your classes and you can sit with us at lunch. No one will mind and anything to annoy Jesse." More laughing on my part. "Well we have to go, so meet you later." We said our goodbyes and James and I continued to Kirova's office. I noticed that now only half the room stared at me an the other half stared the twins retreating towards their table.

"How do you tell them apart. I didn't say anything because I didn't know which was which."

"I don't know, I just do." I never actually thought about how I could tell the identical twins apart. I just could. Weird, right? "I don't know," I said again. We didn't talk the rest of the trip. Once we got to the hallway that housed Kirova's office I slowed my pace and so did James. I was so not in the mood for one of her speeches this morning. I took a huge breath before opening her door and walking into the lamp lit room. Same old office, desk, lamp, and the chair that had seemed to be permanently mine after hitting the third grade.

Kirova stood behind her desk with her palms strongly pressed against the wood. "Miss Hathaway, you bless us with your return once again. This time would you mind explaining, or rather you're not even a student here so you should be explaining why you have returned again."

"Yes, explain," said a voice that was all to familiar in tone. The voice I dreaded might be here. My mother's voice, the voice of Janine Hathaway.

"Well if Alberta hasn't gotten the paperwork in yet then you should know I dropped back in at request of every Guardian here and the queen." I said with added measure. The queen had signed the papers just so I would get out of her court and it worked to our advantage. "I left to keep a promise and kill Dimitri Belikov as you should have already noticed his body turning up dead along with the rest of my trail. Guardian-to-Guardian we would not allow the other to become what we hated most. I came back to finish school and become Lissa's permanent Guardian. Think that all about covers it." I matched their glares and put on my polite but obnoxious smile.

"Andrew and Damon were here quite earlier to fill us in on what you two did. I have heard. But what I cannot understand is why you would come back after what you did. Betraying everyone and dropping out of school. I have half a mind to not let you back in. But as the queen request's I must. If this ever happens gain you are out, the queen won't even allow you back into my school. You will stay, graduate, community service for three weekends at the church, training with Guardians Alberta and James for two hours every morning and in the afternoon after classes. You're on probation, if you as much as look at something wrong I will have you out of here before you can take a breath. And another thing- what is on your shoulders?" Abrupt halt much? Now she was staring at the swirls and designs that came to my neck and shoulders.

"When I met James he followed me and counted every strigoi I killed on my trip. I let him draw the molnija marks on my back in return for his help. After a few more rants of hers and my mothers James and I were released. I signed my last paper and got my schedule, which wasn't changed since the last time I was here. So I headed straight off to _Advanced Guardian combat techniques. _James walked me there in silence, after what he witnessed he had learned so much more about me and I was sure he was in shock from Kirova and my mother's anger.

"Thanks," I said before I departed for class.

"For what, Caccia?" He asked using the Italian word for _fighter_ again. He used in often instead of calling me something as simple as just Rose. He said Caccia described me better and being raised in England by two Italian-speaking parents, he had the English accent but whispered in Italian to comfort me the nights I cried.

"For coming with me even though you didn't have to. Your presence kept me from breaking down again, so thank you. I'm going to class so have fun on your shift today." I smiled and touched his arm, a simple gesture that just gave him the assurance we both needed to make it through this day. I turned and went to class as he walked away too do his job protecting us form the big bad vamps that we had killed so many of in the past months.

My greeting was a series of clapping and wooting that made me blush slightly. Leading the crowd was Eddie Castile, one of my best friends. "Hey Hathaway," the biggest grin I'd ever seen on him.

"All right, all right. I'm on a tight schedule so who wants to get their butt kicked today?" The applause stopped and everyone took a step back except for a dhampir I did not recognize. New kid, transfer student, who cares he just volunteered himself for a fun fight.


	9. Presents from no one

**Sorry guys been stressed lately so here the next chapter and I promise to post again this week.**

**Rose's POV**

"Come on Evan, you can do better than this." I grunted as I held him pinned against the ground, again. Most of the class consisted of him on his ass while I pinned him or stood over after I flipped him. I was proud of one thing though, it wasn't a repeat of the last time I came back and had my ass handed to me by Mason, of all people.

"Apparently not. I've been down here all period. Class is almost over, can I get up now?" I started to help him up when he said, "By the way, Viktoria says hello." So surprised, I let go of his hand and he fell onto his back.

"What?" I yelled at him. Viktoria was Dimitri's sister; I had become friends with her in my time in Russia but after a stupid argument with her I hadn't spoken to her since. Before the fight she had talked about coming to America to see what her favorite big brother had seen. I had loved her like family and they had accepted me into theirs. I didn't want to be Dimitri's replacement for them but I had fallen love with them too. I almost stayed there, and then I remembered what my mission was.

I held my hand back out to him again but he ignored in fear of me dropping him again. "I said Vik says hello. She also wanted me to tell you that she's sorry and you should call her if you want. When I told her I was transferring here she was so jealous. Yeva told us that you would be coming home soon and Vik told me to find you. Here I am, here you are." Yeva was Dimitri's physic grandmother who pretended not to speak English because she doesn't like conversation. Her great grandson spent my entire trip there translating Yeva's words for me. She often had visions and this time she'd seen me finally going back to the academy where I belonged.

"I went to the academy in Russia with Vik. We've been friends for years. She told me so much about you already. 'Evan you must find her no matter what' she would say over and over before I left." I felt like this is the point where I was supposed to fall over and faint from shock.

We talked the rest of then ten minutes we had together then we had to split for our next classes. I had _Bodyguard theory and personal protection 3_ next and he had _pre cal. _Eddie went with me in silence to my next class. I stared ahead because I couldn't speak. I had just found my connection to Viktoria Belikov. She wasn't mad at me; she wanted me to call her. I wanted to scream with joy but I kept it in for later.

The next three classes past in a breeze, I was welcomed by every teacher, even Stan, who I had always had falling outs with. I mouthed off to him constantly and always got into trouble but today was different. Today we got along, I raised my hand and he would calmly call on me. People listened to what I had to say. It was kind of cool.

"What do you mean we don't have afternoon classes anymore?" I asked Eddie on the way to lunch. He had just informed me that when the council decided to extend school through the summer that the dhampir student would only be continuing in the Guardian classes and for the second half continuing the field experience testing. Which meant I would have to protect Christian twelve-thirty to six-oh-clock every day for the next three months except on weekends. You can shoot me now guys.

"Yup. Here comes Alberta you can talk to her about it." He ran off down the hallway to catch up with some of his other friends as Alberta approached me from behind.

"That would have been nice to know when I came back. Someone could have warned me before just now." I said before even telling her what Eddie had just told me. She looked at me then realized what I was talking about when I motioned to her all black outfit.

She apologized. "Kirova was supposed to tell you. I guess she was so angry that she just forgot." _Oh yeah,_ that was it. "The transfer student Evan has been Guarding Christian but now that you're back I moved him to guard one of the Zeklos twins- I can't tell who is who- that you brought along. Evan's brother will be guarding the other. I cannot seem to tell those boys apart. Oh well. So only you're Guardian classes will be held in the morning and then in the afternoon you may continue your duties as Christians Guard. I must leave, but good luck." And she was off. I didn't even get a chance to ask a question or say anything. She just sped through the entire conversation and sprinted in the direction she came form. I almost got whiplash at how fast the scene had changed.

Dazed, I turned around and closed the space between the cafeteria and me. As I walked people still stared and whispered but not as much as the morning. I found Eddie, Lissa, Christian and Adrian sitting at the table we had always sat at before and I really felt like I was home. With tray Andrew and Damon joined my sides and followed me to the table. Like lost puppies they said nothing until we reached my other friends.

"So the clones are tagging along?" Adrian said.

I punched him in the arm and said, "No they're my friends, and anyone who wants to get away from Jesse is alright with me." The whole group couldn't help but chuckle with the same hatred I felt towards Jesse Zeklos, Andrew and Damon's distant cousin. I used to like him and had almost gone the whole nine yards until Dimitri broke it up. Jesse treated me like crap ever since and I returned the favor by beating his face in a few times and backhand commenting every chance I got.

"Andrew, Damon don't mind Adrian, he's just jealous I've gained more male friends on my outing." I smiled evilly at Adrian.

"Always little dhampir," he said matching my smirk and I scoffed at him. "Lissa Dragomir, Christian Ozera, Eddie Castile," Adrian finished the introductions for me and continued. "Have you gotten your new room yet or will you have to stay with me again? Not that I have any kind of problem sharing my room with you."

"Actually I'm guarding Christian again so he's my new roomie. Sorry," I said as soon as I thought of it, which was quick seeing as I had just spoken about it with Eddie and Alberta. Christian groaned. "Cheer up, Sparky, you just get to spend lots more time with your favorite smart ass." I smiled and he began banging his head against the table. I laughed.

"I wanted you back, but not this much," he whined as he gave himself a concussion. Lissa made him stop after a minute and kissed him so he would stop complaining.

We laughed and enjoyed the first lunch we all had together in a long time. That is, until the package arrived. They were laughing at something I had said to Adrian while he sat in silence. When the laughs started to die my favorite artist and friend from the road came to me with a small brown box. Wrapped in twine. "James," I said. "What are you doing? What's that?"

"Afternoon _Caccia,_" he said. "This came for you just now. I was in the area so I brought it to you. It has no return address so I do not know who it was from." He smiled and handed me the package, when our hands brushed I ducked my head because I was reminded of the dream and it made my face warm.

I hooked my nail under the twine and ripped it off. "It's probably from Viktoria," I said. Everyone but James looked confused… Oh, I had not spoken much of Dimitri's family, duh. "Dimitri's little sister." They sighed in knowing. I ripped off the paper to be greeted with a small cardboard box wrapped in tape. I sighed and ripped anyway the tape and opened the box, which was full of packing peanuts. Now it was just ridiculous. I put my hand in and felt around until I found the small necklace sized jewelry box. "Oy!" I opened the small case lifted the cloth and screamed at what was inside. I dropped the box but before it hit the ground James caught it and looked to find out why I screamed.

"Oh my," he said when he dropped it too but caught it again. His other hand covered his mouth as he set it on the table. "This may be a problem _Caccia_."

**(Haha oh yes insert creepy music here and review for your lives. The amount of review determines which idea will be used next cause I make this all up as I go along. Hope you liked it)**


	10. Neverending haunts

**Hey guys! Jumping back up for the next chapter. Hope you guys are liking it! =)**

**Rose's POV**

"_Caccia?_" repeated James, using the Italian word for _Fighter_. "_Caccia_? Are you alright?" Holding the box with his left hand he put his right on my shoulder to calm me. The small gesture brought me back into the real world and I gasped.

"Why does this keep happening? Who has to keep doing this to us? We've been through enough that it would make Bond tired to listen to it." I spun into his arms and he hugged me with one arm trying to hold the box away from me. He whispered calming words into my ear but nothing I actually processed. "Take it to Alberta," I whispered. "Find out where it came from, ask around, I want whoever this is caught." I ordered and he silently obeyed.

I pulled myself out of his grip as he turned and swiftly made his way to the crowd and eventually to the door. Before he was out of ear range he hummed, "I'll take care of them, don't worry." Then he disappeared. Took a breath and kept my head down when I spoke to my friends.

I could see Adrian and Lissa, giving me a WTF kind of look but I ignored it and they didn't push. "Is your door unlocked?" I asked Adrian. He nodded. "I'll be back to for Christian but I need a few minutes." I turned to leave but Eddie's voice stopped me.

"What was it Rose?"

"It was a finger of a moroi, pale, old and wrinkled, frozen. There was a ring on the end with the Dragomir crest and the lid plainly spelled 'we're coming'. It was addressed to me, but it must have been for the both of us, Liss. Whatever was happening four moths ago still isn't over and it all revolves around us. It's never going to stop."

The door slammed shut behind me and I slid to the ground already crying. I sobbed and quietly screamed into my arm. The pain would never go away. Nothing could ever make them stop. I had to stop them once and for all. But I couldn't do it alone. I needed Dimitri here to help me but he was gone. Who could know as much-

James.

The sound of his name in my head calmed the pain. We shared a connection of which I didn't not know. He always stayed by my side. He helped me through my entire journey and stayed when asked. He gave me the hope that Dimitri once had. Now Dimitri was gone, I had so many good things in my life. I had to fix this. Fix everything that started the day Lissa saved my life. The day we bonded.

I felt a knock on the door and heard Christians voice. "Rose, open up. I can't get killed out here or your going to get marked down again. Lemme in, I know you're in there and you can here me."

How well he knew me even now. I sighed and wiped my eyes. "Just a sec," I stood up and opened the door for him. Christian stopped inside and gave me a quick hug. "Thanks," I said.

"You needed it. Now we have to go because class starts in five minutes and we have to get across the campus without getting attacked." I agreed and we left. As I shut the door behind us we had already started jogging. The idea was to not get attacked on the way to his class, but as we came out of the building and turned the corner I only saw a flash of black before Alberta jumped me.

I only had a second to react before she went after Christian, it wasn't until now I realized, I never got a stake, not even a fake one. I'd left my knife in Adrian's room and I lost my stake after killing Dimitri. But that couldn't stop me from doing my job, or assignment.

I flipped up from the ground like they do in those awesome ninja movies (took me forever to perfect it) and landed facing Alberta on my feet. I yanked her back from Christian and was amazed at how far she flew back from us. She stumbled but kept coming at me until I landed a kick to her gut. She choked and stepped back so I kicked her again and she fell to the ground. She rolled over and lunged at Christian again. I needed a stake!

Just as if he heard me, Eddie and Lissa appeared in front of us and noticed my lack weapon. Eddie tossed his stake and while grabbing it I spun, punched Alberta to force her to come back to me and I lightly touched the stake to the underside of her rib cage. "Game over," I said cheerfully.

"Good work Rose. You two Eddie, helping in anyway can save a life. Just wanted to see you in action miss Hathaway. Good work. I'll be looking forward to our training sessions tomorrow. Don't be late and here," she reached into her pocket and pulled out another practice stake for me. "Might need this." I took the stake and smiled as she headed off with no doubt of a few bruises forming somewhere.

Christian came over and hi-fived me. "Rose in action! That was great." Eddie and Lissa congratulated me too and I gave Eddie his stake back. We walked the royals to their classes together and stood at the back of the room and watched them try to make a clay pot stay a pot.

I watched the door, while Eddie and the others guarded windows. I listened for any sign of an attack from down the hall but none ever came so I stared into space and waited for that wonderful sound of the bell ring. I followed Christian around for the next few hours and saw Evan in the halls. He smiled and waved but mostly kept his eyes on Andrew. I never saw James but I would at some point. At least, I hoped I would.

But I didn't. Instead Christian and Lissa hung out at the library, which meant so, did Eddie and I but we were on constant guard. We weren't attacked but we always had to be ready. I was on the verge of falling asleep and I could tell they were too. When the lovebirds decided to break it up for everyone's sake it was almost curfew and we had to hurry back to the dorm rooms.

Christian opened the door and having already had a body guard while I was away, there was an extra mattress pulled into the corner of the room, complete with sheets and a soft blanket. "Hallelujah,' I said crashing into the soft mattress.

"I take it you're happy about not sleeping on the floor?" He said and we both laughed. He plopped onto his bed and laid back. "Rose?" he asked but without my answer he continued. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." He waited a few minutes before asking if I was sure. "I'm fine." I told him again but we both knew it was a lie. "It has to stop Christian. I can't put Lissa through this again. I can't go through this again." I sighed and hid under the blanket.

He rolled over to look at me. "I know." We both needed sleep then, and I had to get up early for training so I fell asleep quickly and that's hen the dream came.

I sat on the bench in the cabins where Dimitri and I first fully showed our love for each other. A fire crackled a few feet from me and created dancing shadows on the wall. The air smelled of oak and pine and lavender. The lavender came from a small bud on the seat next to me. I picked it up and breathed in, the smelled filled my lungs before a pain slit through my stomach.

I looked to the door and in walked Dimitri. Snow clung to the ends of his hair and eyelashes, which only accented his blood red eyes. I gasped as he flashed closer. He was dressed in normal faded jeans and a t-shirt that hugged him in the right places making his muscles look even more accentuated. His skin was too pale and hard. His face blank, until he saw me, was menacing and evil, but it softened as he took me in.

"Hello my _Roza_."

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	11. It's never alright

**Hey guys thanks for he reviews and continue to do so 'cause they make me feel better.**

Rose's POV

"No, you're dead, this isn't real." I had aimed for screaming in his face but instead they barely came out as a pleading whisper. He sauntered forward as I backed up against the wall.

He stopped only a foot from me and leaned down so that our faces were an inch apart. "Hush Roza, you are safe with me." His finger caressed my cheek, then my jaw, pausing at my lips. His eyes were mesmerizing, suddenly I felt nothing, and I was numb. As if possessed my hand found its way to touch his chest and as if I had triggered a miracle his eyes dulled into their normal dhampir brown. His sly smile turned scared and he gasped in surprise. "Roza, how- how did you- I can't believe this." I was lost for words as he lost control and fell into my arms. I hugged him tight and felt his warm tears soaking into my shirt.

He was himself again. The Dimitri I fell in love with, the Dimitri I almost couldn't bring myself to kill. Tears fell from my eyes as well as we sat there hoping the moment would never end. The nightmare turned into a dream, a wish, a fantasy that I never wanted to wake up from. "I love you Roza," he whispered.

"I- I love-" but I couldn't finish. Screams echoed outside the cabin. I smelled smoke and ash. From the window I could see the sky went gray and black dust fell from nowhere covering the earth with its stench. Dimitri and I broke and the spell broke. His skin paled and his eyes brightened. _No_.

His smile grew and without warning he leaped on top of me. "Ah Roza, I missed the wonderful taste of your blood." The images of him biting me at the end of every fight we fought flashed through my mind. Each time I had him pinned he would turn the tables and bite me and disappear for me to chase him once again. I had lived off those bites for days. I felt ashamed for what his bites did to me but I couldn't ever help it.

Usually when he would bite me, it would feel like the greatest treasure in the world. He and I would be one again and for a second I would forget my mission. But this time he did not bother to use compulsion. As his fangs broke my skin the pain seared and I screamed.

I shot up still screaming. I felt around searching for my bedpost only to remember I wasn't in the hotel with James anymore, I was in Christian's dorm room and he was freaked. When my scream seized the crying started. Through watery eyes I could see Christians worried face coaxing the twins to stay back. Andrew, Damon, Evan and Zane- Damon's Guardian stood behind Christian no doubt being woken up by me. The door stayed open and people were gathering in the hallway. I forced my tears to stop as Evan and Zane shouted at everyone to go back to their rooms.

"Rose are you alright?" Andrew asked. I nodded. "Are you sure?" I nodded again.

"Bad dream. Don't worry. I'll be fine." I smoothed out my wrinkled clothes and flattened my hair back and tied it into a long ponytail. "I need some air," the boys took a hint and left the room getting rid of the last of the observers as they went. "I'll be back in a little bit." I told Christian. He said nothing as I ran out of his room and down the hall to the back stairs. Swiftly but silently I sprinted down and out the unguarded side door.

Daylight blinded me and my eyes took a few seconds to readjust but I kept running anyway. I didn't really care if I was caught out after hours; I've broken plenty of rules anyway so sneaking out wouldn't be the worst thing on my record. The main thing now was to get the nightmare out of my mind so I ran. And ran. And ran. I wouldn't stop until there was nothing to keep me going.

The next time I woke up was after a full black sleep. And, according to the clock on the wall, it was ten minutes before I was supposed to be in the gym for training with Alberta. I jumped up and almost went headfirst into the door when Christian stopped me.

"She came by earlier. She knows what happened last night and that you left. Says training's off until tomorrow so you can sleep. You officially don't have to watch me until one now so you can leave though."

"So anxious to get rid of me Sparky?" he shook his head and I continued to leave but instead of going to the gym I went to the other building to get into Lissa's room. I didn't bother knocking and the door was unlocked so I barged in waking both her and Eddie up. Eddie had also been sleeping on the floor and jumped thinking I might be a teacher going for the meaner attacks. I held up my hands to stop him. "It's just me. Came to talk to Lissa." I strolled over and plopped onto her bed. "Got a question-"

"Dresser, bottom drawer, all there," she said smiling. I got up and went opened the drawer and it was if she was able to read my thoughts now because exactly what I wanted was stowed away for me. "Can I go back to sleep?"

"Yup. Thanks Liss, see you guys later today." I took my stuff and went to my next stop, Adrian's room.

Since I didn't have my own room I didn't have a place to shower and change so Adrian was my best bet. When I got to his room he was already awake with a cigarette at the window. "Hello little dhampir. Back already I see. How may I be of services?"

"Just need your bathroom, Ishkov." I smiled and he seemed to melt. But instead of making his usual unruly comments he waved me off. Showering was first on the list. What Lissa had in her room for me had been a small stash off clothes, makeup, jewelry, and one bottle of perfume. The only perfume I kept when Adrian sent me a collection at the ski lodge. The first place we met. I smiled at the memories of the lodge. _Amor Amor, _I opened the bottled and breathed in the sweet smell. After I was dressed I decided to splash a little bit on but not a lot, just enough to notice.

Fully clothed I gathered up all of my belongings and returned to Adrian's living room. He was sitting on the couch with another cigarette and an open bottle of whiskey barely full on the coffee table. "Ah, little dhampir, I was wondering if you had kept it," he said when I sat next to him. "Since you have no room, you are welcome to leave your things here for now."

"Oh, great. Thanks Adrian," I said. I got up and shoved my stuff into a corner of the room. I sat next to him again and he looked at me with disbelief. That's when the dream swooned back into my mind. The image of Dimitri going from bad to good to bad once again. My dreams crushed all because of one stupid strigoi. I'd killed him on my rampage though, so there was nothing I could put on him anymore. Now it was just my fault for not saving him.

Adrian sighed and put his arm around me. "I've already heard about the night," Adrian whispered. Damn news traveled fast around here! "I will be in your dreams tonight to keep you're nightmares away, you need your rest." He kissed my forehead and I leaned into his chest. "I am always here for you." I appreciated his not asking about what my dream was, maybe he already knew, maybe he knew I wouldn't want to talk about it. It didn't matter, I was just happy he knew me so well even after such a short time in us knowing each other. "Your classes are- what's this little dhampir?" he hand moved the edge of my sleeve to reveal on of the curling patterns linked to my back. The tattoos I had not bothered to mention when I told everyone what happened while I was gone. There were actually a lot of things I had left out, but only James knew that and he wouldn't betray my trust.

I laughed a bit and started. "Uh, I forgot to tell you I got a tattoo, or rather a lot of tattoos. James did them, um; they're linked to all the molnija marks for ever strigoi I killed while I was out there. Heh heh, I gotta go," I leaped off the couch and ran to the door. "See you at lunch," I threw over my shoulder at his shocked face as I ran out the door. I was going to have some serious explaining to do later.

On my way to the gym, though, I saw something I was hoping I would never have to see again. A ghost. But not just any ghost, it was Dimitri looming under a tree and staring at me from the distance. "Shit," I blinked hoping when I opened my eyes he would be gone but he was still there. "What do you want?' I shouted but he just shook his head. "You're dead, stop haunting my dreams!" I threw at him. His face was hurt but he misted away. I felt bad directly after but I was sick of his image stalking me wherever I went. How could his ghost be here now? His soul had been dead for a long time now, only recently had I killed the evil shell.

I ran to the gym getting there three minutes late. I was surprised to see James in the front leading the class. "You're late, _Caccia_."

"Hey, I'm late for my own funeral, give me a break I just got back." I laughed and he smiled turning back to the class. The class had seemed to be split up into pairs already and I seemed to be the odd ball out. "Where do ya want me?" His smile only grew larger but I got a few whispers from the students like- "In the bed," or "Purgatory" or "Where ever you want babe."

I was back.

**Hey guys thanks for reading and I hope you review because the more I get the more I feel like posting a new chapter soon. So remember- Don't do drugs, skip school, and help and old lady across the street, and review because you want more lol=)**


	12. The Executioner

**Hey guys you get this and maybe two more over the long ass weekend because I decided to skip school today. YEAH! And those review really brighten my day so please do.**

**~lawlz ME**

**Rose's POV**

I ended up having to be James- I mean Guardian Maron's little helper monkey to demonstrate the moves to the class. I had to use every inch of power in my body not to die laughing at that. I had to stay clam so I just imagined something disturbing like dead elephants to keep straight.

He started off by showing the kids different moves than we'd ever used in class. They were moves that I'd seen on my second little field trip out of the school boundaries. He'd taught those moves to me on our free time during the day so I was already familiar but the class seemed completely lost. Couldn't blame them though, I had been too. But twisting, jumping, and curling into a hundred different positions to take down the undead wasn't the best part of the exercise; not even seeing their faces as I took down someone a foot taller than me. The best part was at the end, when the student were practicing James and I had gone at each other a lot faster and a lot harder than what we had been showing them.

We were curled in some awkward positions and jumping all over the places like ninjas that ate too much sugar. But it was fun. Once the class caught on they stopped what they were doing to watch and cheer either of us on. Most of them, knowing my bitchy attitude for so long, cheered for Guardian Moron to take me down. Some, scared they would be next or just smart, cheered for me.

James had me pinned to the ground in a way that if we had not just been battling it out would be weird for a bunch of senior guys and a few girls to be watching. We were breathing hard and after a few seconds of holding me there he raised his fists in victory and shouted with the audience. He was unlike any other Guardian; he didn't keep that professional straight face all the time. He enjoyed what he did and he showed it, to some extent. It's one of the things that I loved about him, why we were such good friends. Big mistake in this case though, he should have known me better. The class cheered as though he had won but didn't expect my legs to fly up, grab him, and pull him off as I hopped back up into a standing position. He was on his back against the matt staring up at me before he started laughing. "Should've known, _Caccia_, should've known," he muttered for only me to here. The class had gone silent- not knowing what to do- but was now a mixture of aw, whispers, laughing, and cheers once more.

I lent my hand and pulled James up. He held my hand there for a minute and bowed his head slightly before letting go. I turned and joined my friends in the crowd. Eddie pulled me out of the large cluster and to the side. "How in hell did you do that?" he asked.

"Practice. I've been with him for the past few months, Ed."

"No, not that. That's James Maron; you think Belikov was a god?" The name stung but I ignored it. Eddie didn't know the extent of the not professional relationship that used to be between us. "My mom went to school in England with that guy they called him 'the executioner' because he never lost a fight in his life. Yet, he just lost to you!" James never told me that, I mean he didn't have to. We'd not known each other for very long, but-. He still could have told me. Why didn't he?

I just blew it off. "Maybe I'm just that good." I smiled and smoothed out my ruffled shirt as I walked away. Class was almost over so I head for the door when Alberta walked in, dressed in black again but something was off about her.

"Listen up!" Her voice boomed. "I know all of you have been confused about the schedule. Classes and guarding is not how the school was supposed to run. So, Sundays through Thursdays you will guard your charges, Fridays you will take your normal classes and you will have Saturdays to yourselves. I hope this will be much easier for everyone and because of the change you will get today off as well. I apologize for the recent confusion. Carry on," she turned and fled he room. As soon as that door closed everyone screamed with pleasure. I laughed a bit too because the schedule had been a little weird. Okay not a little, it was completely unreasonably undeniably unfathomable. I was one of the kids screaming with joy when James hollered over us.

"Well you have today off. Get out!" he joked and the doors were bombarded with students. From down off in the distance I could hear the rest of the dhampir senior class cheering. Only the younger dhampir novices would have to go through the painful classes through summer nights now.

--

With the day off I went to see Adrian again. I knew I would have to do this sooner or later and having someone else to know was going to make telling Lissa a lot easier. I knew her best, she's the kind of person who would be freaking out and chasing me around the school like a little cartoon until I told her everything… and even then.

I was on my way to his room when I smelt a wave of cloves and whiskey. As I rounded the corner I saw him leaning against the wall staring off into the courtyard. "Hello little dhampir." Even though he was just a moroi it was really hard to sneak up on Adrian Ishkov. He always seemed to know when I was near.

"Hi. You want to know what happened, I'll tell you." Without another word I spun on my heel and headed for the pond near the edge of campus. I didn't look back to know that he was following me, I could hear his step- soft as they were- and I could smell his trade mark scent.

When I reached the pond I stared at the disorted reflection of a the grass and my own self. Adrian's image appeared behind me and I could feel his breath on my neck. So I began.

**I know I know its so short but the next chapter maybe two is just going to be about Rose's journey after she left told as it happened. So it's going to be much longer which I hope will make up for this. Please Review because it really does make me feel better and the next will be up very very soon.**


	13. Start walking

**Hey guys=) my computer has been really sucky lately and not working. But I am here again to give you the next chapter because my buddy Rose really wants to read the rest of her life. Lol (I really have a BFF named Rose and Adrian!) So read and please review or my baby dragon Ezra will cry=( lol**

**Rose's POV**

"Then start walking Rose," I muttered to myself once Mason disappeared forever. I hitched a ride with a sympathetic couple a few miles down the road. They took me to Missoula where I went to the main airport and bought a ticket for the first flight to Russia. It was the only place I could think of to start searching for the man I loved. Russia was his home, and the most likely place for him to return to. He always talked about how beautiful Siberia was and how one day he would take me there. I always dreamed of going with him.

Now I was going after him.

I slumped in my seat and waited for take off. The fastest way to get to Russia was a two-stop plane ride, a train and a bus to the town where Dimitri told me he had grown up. I took the chance to sleep on the flight; after all I had barely slept the past few days planning my trip. I had also spent a lot of time crying my eyes dry. I woke up just before we landed in New York, dropped passengers, and picked more up. Still I sat alone in coach with my silver stake stashed in my tall leather boots- getting past security wasn't that hard. The next stop was in France and I slept through that too.

The plane dispersed and reloaded just as before but with a better variety of faces. As soon as he'd stepped into my view I knew he was a dhampir, maybe I'd learned it form Dimitri, or maybe I had just developed a sixth sense but everything about him screamed at me like a flashing neon saying "Look at me, I'm a half vampire, what are you going to do about it?" The 6'4" man with dark tanned skin, chocolate hair, and silver eyes, who sat beside me was not just any dhampir though, he had no promise mark. He was a rogue. He gave the same feel of protection that any Guardian would even though I didn't know him. For a short part of the flight I had figured that Adrian or someone had sent him to watch me, but he didn't say anything. He didn't do anything. He sat in his seat with and old book witling away at the seams and read the whole way. I kept my hair down and over the marks, hoping he would not notice I was like him, and pretended to sleep though I stayed awake to afraid to sleep staring out the window.

I eventually found Dimitri's family. They accepted me as if I were their own. They must have seen so much of him in me, like anyone else ever had. I didn't like being his replacement but I still lived them. They were like the real family I never had. But eventually I had gotten into a fight with Dimitri's little sister Viktoria. Without even knowing it she was hurdling towards the life a blood whore. I made sure she would never go down that path and in return I got kicked out and excluded from her life. I left that night, but I couldn't stop feeling like someone was watching me, someone was following me.

I pulled the oldest trick in the book and ran down a street and waited at the corner for my stalker to appear and he did. "You!" I had exclaimed when I saw him. "Why are you following me?" I shot at him. It was the man from the plane. It was ex-Guardian James Maron, rogue hunter, and resident badass.

We became friends and he traveled with me as back up as I tracked down Dimitri. I found him at least once every other week, but it was because he let me. He bit me every time, and I loved that bite when it happened but the next day I would sob silently into my pillow. James helped me get around and follow the clues. He watched and helped me kill almost a hundred strigoi and as an artist at hear the wanted me to become his masterpiece. He tattooed dozens of exotic designs on my back to accent the mixed _molnija_ marks.

James had been my best friend in battle. He saved me I saved him. He was my shoulder to cry on when I needed it. He was always kind to me, like a big brother he was perfect. And he seemed to feel the same way. He wanted to protect me like any big brother would.

Then the day came, the final day of my hunt. The day I finally staked Dimitri and ended his afterlife. Finally he could rest peacefully.

It was dark when I pulled into the lot. James had left days ago to get a message to a friend. I was prepared for anything. I shut the black sports car down and stepped out with my stake already in my hands and my really big knife (which I regretfully lost) in the pocket of my tall leather boots.

I had gotten word that Dimitri's group had been traveling across the Canadian border and had followed them to a hill infested forest region. My heightened senses allowed me to see in the dark so I didn't need a flashlight. I trusted my stomach to find the pack of undead. The closer I got, the worse I felt. It had become distracting at times but I had learned to get it under control. I was led to a small field somewhere in the middle of the forest. Torches stood at four ends of the field and five strigoi explored the area. I noticed Dimitri among all of them, he was the tallest, the most domineering. He still looked so god-like as the student had called him.

I should have thought of a plan before I ran in slashing at the vampires that came near me only trying to get to him. It was easy to stake the first one, he was surprised at me showing up, the second one I got by ripping out my machete like knife and slashing off his head. The others took a little more work but I got them soon enough. My former love had just been sitting and watching before I got to him.

He was the hardest to fight for many reasons. His guardian skills mixed with the strigoi strength and senses and compulsion gave him the advantage. When I hit him, he would land a few more blows on me and they would be worse,

He had me pinned against a tree with his face close to mine, breathing his deep scent over me. With his hand at my throat I knew he wanted to drink but he didn't, not yet. "Join me Roza?" he said for the first time more like a question instead of an order. It was the first time that he acknowledged that it was still just my choice.

"But why? Why become the thing I was raised to destroy? To betray everything I believe in? Why should I join you Dimitri?" I choked.

"Because I want you to. You are mine Roza, you always will be. Always have been. This life is so much better, you will soon see. All you must do is join me."

Tears escaped my eyes often around him. This time, only one crept down my cheek. "Wrong answer." I only saw confusion in his eyes before I rammed the stake into his heart. For just a second I could see my real Dimitri, the brown eyed beautiful Russian man that I had fallen in love with. But then he crumbled away, time catching up with his body. He collapsed to the ground and I could finally breathe but I just fell with him.

I stayed with him, he was still mine, I couldn't just leave. Not yet. So I lay there and eventually drifted into a depressed unconsciousness.

Then I woke up in cave and it really hit me that Dimitri was dead. I killed him. But what If I had said yes and gone with him? I could have been with Dimitri forever and now I was second-guessing myself.

**Thanks for reading and plz review sorry for the wait. I'll UD soon.**


	14. When pigs fly

**Hi guys I'm back!! and ready for many more posts. Sorry I have been gone there's been a lot of stuff going on but the carnival is past, feild trip and dances over with. Its almost break and its already snowing so expect more chapter more often=) thanks for the reviews and I ope for more soon.**

**Rose's POV**

By now I was sitting at the edge of the pond and Adrian was waiting patiently in front of me. I wanted him to say something, anything to let me know that he was still with me. While away, he occasionally dream stalked me but noticed I didn't like it much and gave me space so he'd never known what happened to me. He'd never known the whole story and now it was verging on scaring him.

Adrian wasn't known for his silence, actually quite the opposite, especially around me. Or any pretty girl at that, but I'd become his obsession after the ski trip and still he would not leave. I used to want to get rid of him, now I wanted nothing for him to hug me, to comfort me, and tell me everything was going to be alright because I was already crying again and I needed someone to help me get through this again.

I wiped the tears from my eyes as I stood and faced the pond again. I didn't dare let a sound escape my throat, which made more tears fall, oh well. I didn't hear him move but only second later I felt him behind me. The smell of cloves washed over the back of my neck and his hands softly touched my shoulders. Usually and encounter like this with Adrian was him implying more but now he realized I needed my friend. "I'm sorry _Roza_." It took me a moment to realize that it wasn't Adrian who whispered those words. He never called me Roza, he wouldn't dare call me what Dimitri had called me. So when I looked up across the pond I should have been so surprised to see a transparent, almost weeping, Dimitri staring back at me.

So startled I had jumped and as my foot slipped and screamed and crashed into the pond. My head hit the bank on the way in and it hurt a lot but I stayed conscience, enough. I swam up towards the light, but the light wasn't coming from the surface, it was coming from the bottom- a light put at the bottom to light the water. I was running out of air due to my lack of readiness of the fall and had to swim up fast. The pond was deeper than your average fish pool and before I made any real accomplishment in getting out a fair figure had wrapped around me and with a lot of force pulled me to the surface.

I coughed and breathed deeply and Adrian yanked me to the stone edge. The water was quite cold, even during this time of year, so we made an effort to get out as fast as we could. I crawled into the grass and he dragged himself ahead to reach his jacket and shirt lying on the ground. He stuttered back to me and wrapped his clothes around me. And I couldn't help but marvel at his lightly paled chest as he pulled me to him. He was a moroi but he was still strong and spent enough time in the gym to keep up with me now a days. It was kind hot how he jumped into save me like that and- Whoa! Rose, get a hold of yourself. Whoa! Get together now, come on. Focus Rosy, focus.

"Are you alright little dhampir? You seemed to have hit your head pretty hard, it not bleeding though," he blew out in one breath.

I choked on air and sniffled a few times before replying, "I'm okay. Thanks Adrian." I sucked in deep breaths to steady myself. I even snuck a look to the outer edge of the pond, no Dimitri. I sighed with relief.

"Mind letting me in on why you fell into the pond like a ditzy blond?" He asked me. The man I used to love is stalking me! The man I killed!

"He's back Adrian. His ghost is here, following me, torturing me. He's been dead for almost a month and his spirit has been lost for much longer. Hwy won't he just leave me alone," I sobbed. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and cried into his neck. His arms snaked around my waist and held me there as he whispered in my ear. I didn't make out what he said but it still comforted me for him to be there next to me.

It wasn't much longer that we both decided that a change of clothes and a shower would be smart. Since I had nowhere to go yet I went back to his apartment in the guest housing. He left his door unlocked, how many people were really going to go in there? We sat together on the couch for a minute until Alberta pushed open the door. "Hello Rose, Lord Ishkov. I thought you would be here, we finally found your things in storage. Bring 'em in boys," she ordered. A few of the school guardians came in carrying at least two boxes each and set them on the floor of Adrian's apartment. "Your room is another situation, however. We still need to do some moving around, but you will have it in the next forty-eight hours, I promise. Until then you are welcome to find another place to live. Obviously Lord Ishkov doesn't mind your things being here and has given you his couch. The princess might also be happy to let you use her room as well. I will leave you to figure things out, good day."

Alberta and the other guardians quickly let themselves out and I settled more calm into Adrian's couch. "She's right, you are welcome to stay here, but I would not subject you to a horrid couch. You can sleep in my bed, I will take the couch if you wish." Such a gentleman. And for once he wasn't insisting on sleeping with me every minute he was around. It was kind.

"Thanks, Adrian, but where am I going to put all this crap." I pointed at the stacks.

"I do have a second closet, it's bare, you may put your things in there for now, instead of the corner," he chuckled. "I do have one request though," he old smile surfaced and I was scared to even know. I waited. "Can I see your tattoos?" His grin was utterly huge and awaiting my answer. I wasn't expecting that one, really.

"Yes," I sighed and his brightened even more, if that was possible. "But not fight now." And pouted. "Let's move this stuff and then get into something warmer." I shrugged off his jacket and shirt and went for the boxes. He reluctantly followed still pouting.

"I can make you warmer," he said with a smirk. And like that the old Adrian was back. I shook my head and laughed. In two trips we got all of the boxes into his second closet. I made him go take a shower first while I went through the boxes to try and find something to wear. "You may join me if you wish," he said hopefully as he opened the bathroom door.

"When pigs fly."

"Well guess what, _swine flu!_" I grabbed the thing closest to my reach, a hanger, and chucked it at him. His quick reflexes shut the door and the plastic hanger hit it instead. "Ha!" he shouted when he reopened the door. But he wasn't expecting the second hanger already hurdling toward him. It smacked his chest with little force but I assumed it wasn't comfortable. "You suck," he said.

:"You wish," I said as he closed the door for the final time and I heard the water start.

Once he was out I had my turn in the shower. After I got dressed, as he waited in the living room, we left to meat the others for lunch.

Lissa, Christian, and Eddie were already at the table waiting. The twins were in line to get food. "Is it true, what Eddie told us about Guardian Maron? That whole 'executioner' thing sounded a bit out there," Christian asked.

"I am sitting right here," Eddie complained. Christian ignored him. I shrugged, _I _had no idea. "Well, it's true. I even called my mum and told her to e-mail me a picture someone took back then. I'll print it and show you guys later tonight, it's not like we have to be anywhere with classes out for the day."

A few other students came up to me during the lunch hour to ask me if it was true that I took down "The executioner". I answered yes every time and shook my head as they walked away. It wasn't until Ralf and Jesse decided to take their turn in pestering me that my mood when dark. "So, badass Hathaway took down Maron. Probably because she's been sleeping with him for a few months." I scoffed. "Aw come on, it's all over school already. Hathaway's got a thing for tall dark and Guardian. And Maron isn't her first prey, Belikov got a drop on that awhile back I here."

He shouldn't have said that. Anger oozing from every pore I was already on my feet with my hand curled around his throat to cut off his air. I pushed him to the ground and put my knee where it hurts. "One more word Jesse and that pretty little face of yours is gone," I threatened. I pushed off of him and stood up in one move. He shuffled back and choked for air. Ralf helped him to his feet.

"Crazy bitch," he muttered as they stumbled away. He better not forget it.

I spun and sat back at our table. "Nice going Rose, our cousin needs a little pain here and there to keep him in check," Andrew said as he glared at his (unfortunately) retreating relative.

"Tell me about it Drew," I uttered.

"He's not Drew, I am." His twin burst.

I looked them back and forth carefully before I called, "bullshit. You're Andrew, you're Damon." I pointed with each name. "Yup." Once I was completely sure.

"How is it that you can tell, when our own mother can barely keep us apart?" Damon threw in between laughs. I shrugged.

"Rose," Lissa interrupted so I looked to her. "Has anyone gotten word about the er um package yet?"

I shook my head. "No that I know. Alberta would have said something when she dropped my stuff off at Adrian's place. James didn't say anything this morning but I should probably go talk to him now. How about we uh do a movie thing later tonight, I found my collection of _Bond_ movies in my stuff. How about it?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. "My place, seven," Adrian chimed. "I know you haven't been here long but you two are welcome as well," he added to the Zeklos boys.

"That's nice of you, but we're hanging out with Zane and Evan later, sorry."

"It's alright, I'll see you guys later then. I gotta go, bye." With that I ran off out of the building heading to the guardians housing where he would undoubtedly be now with classes out. I ignored the elevator and took the stair up and without knocking barged into his room. I really needed to learn how to be patient and knock. His bathroom door opened at the same time and steamed poured to as he emerged with only a small white towel around his waist. I gapped and felt my cheeks go red with embarrassment.

**Now click that magically delicious green button odwn there and take a minute of your day to up my confidence and make me post more. It only takes a few clicks and a couple of button pushings to make someone feel better. thnks guys! later!**


	15. DayNight

**Rose's POV**

"Oh my," I said as I stared. My cheeks flushed red as I stared at his deep tanned chest. His muscles glimmering in the light as he ran his fingers through his dark chocolate hair and-

What am I thinking! Turn and run! Turn and run! No I couldn't do that I had to talk to him. "Sorry," I quickly said averting my eyes to look at anything in the room besides him. Anything, even if a part of me really didn't want to. "I came to uh see if you heard anything from Qulin or anybody yet," I muttered. I shut the door so that no one would see or hear this slightly awkward conversation.

Maybe I should have left it open.

"It was only been a day. Their fast, but not that fast. Give them a few more days and if there's anything to be found they will find it and they'll call me. Of course you'll be the first one I come to, Rose. Uh, unless you want to watch I suggest you turn around for just a moment." I got the hint, ducked my head and turned around with a smirk.

I traced the patterns in the wood floor and scuffed my foot a few times. "I'm sorry," I said again. "I should have knocked first. I guess I'm just a little anxious after…" I didn't want to say it really. "James?" He hmphed in response. "Why have you stayed with me so long? Why did you follow me in Russia?" I turned around and he dressed himself lightly, but he was covered. _Thank god_, I thought to myself.

He smirked. "Other than your magnificent charm? Ha. No, I have been searching for you for a very long time Rose." I gasped. That took me by surprise. I was close to interrupting but his raised hand stopped me. "I grew up full blooded Italian in England, we kept to ourselves, but not only for that reason. My little sister was a bit of a psychic you could say. She was also a bit crazy to say the least." Psychic, like Dimitri's grandmother Yeva, perhaps? "Anyways, she only ever spoke to me. She told me that a beautiful girl was in every one of her dreams. A girl with dessert skin and a smile that would make any man melt. She was broken, un-promised, but bared the marks of a warrior still before she became of age. Anya told me that one day I would find you because I had to help you. Something else haunted her though, something that she would not tell me. Something much greater and much darker. After I graduated I guarded a royal for some time but then Anya got sick. Our parents died in a fire a year before and I was all she had. I left to take care of her-"

"Why aren't you with her now?" I asked.

"The day before we met on the plane, Anya had a vision. She told me I needed t go to Russia, that I had to find you soon. She told me I wasted too much time and that if I didn't go now, all would be lost. She checked herself into a hospital and threatened that if I didn't go she wouldn't be there when I came back. I listened. So I booked the flight and noticed a very beautiful dhampir girl in the seat next to my own. I knew instantly it was you." I stared at him, jaw slightly drooping, eyes popping out of my head.

I spent the day alone in the gym sitting on the bleachers and finding patterns in the dot of the ceiling tiles. I had become so hypnotized that when the sun started to rise I barely noticed. Hoping I wasn't already late to for the movie I ran to Adrian's apartment. It was way past curfew so I was careful not to be seen. When I reached his room he was re arranging furniture to accommodate for the guests.

Cushions, pillows, and blankets had been thrown on the floor to create a huge seat for everyone. The de-cushioned couch was severing as a headboard. A fifty-inch television rested on the wall with the 007 menu up. "Hey little dhampir, where have you been?" I told him. "Strange you are little dhampir. Are you ready to have some James Bond fun?"

"Definitely. Where's Lissa, Christian and Eddie." I stole a quick glance at the clock. "It's six-thirty already and way past curfew, she's going to have to use compulsion to get out."

"Called five minutes ago, they're together and on their way. Help me get the refreshments out," he said wiggling his eyebrows. Refreshments at Adrian's equaled alcohol. Not that right now I didn't have much of a problem with that. I helped him carry the bottles to the coffee table, along with an extremely large bowl of popcorn. "Great. Now little dhampir, what shall we do with our free time?" he crept towards me and slid a finger down my neck.

I leaned in close so that our lips were only a centimeter apart. I smiled and kissed his cheek. "Go get the door," I whispered in his ear and I could feel a shudder that ran through his body. I pulled away, a knock at the door, and his mouth was hanging open so far that a train could run through it.

"How. Did. You. Do. That."

I pushed him towards the door. "Intuition baby, intuition." I smirked as he opened the door to greet Eddie, Lissa, then Christian. "Hey guys. Sparky," I added holding in laughter at the annoyed expression on Christians face when I called him the name he absolutely hated. Lissa patted him on the shoulder and he smiled at her. "Let's get this party started," I said reaching for a bottle. I cracked it open and took a quick swig, for tonight the _old_ old Rose was back and she was ready to play. I plopped down on the huge pile and they all followed. I sat between Lissa and Adrian unsurprisingly. Adrian hit play and we began our very short marathon of Bond, James Bond.

At eleven, an hour before noon, the sun was high in the summer sky but we worked on a nocturnal schedule being a part of a civilization of vampires. It would be uncomfortable, but they had recently fed so Christian Lissa quickly skittered back to the moroi dorms that were not to far for convenience. Eddie wouldn't have a problem with the sun, but he did have to very quick as well not to be caught by roaming Guardians. They all had to be careful considering we were a bit tipsy.

I stumbled to the counter to put the last bottle back. I hiccupped and almost fell over when Adrian caught my arm to steady me. "You need to get to sleep little dhampir. Let me take care of this, go to bed." Not knowing if I could speak I nodded and he led me to his bedroom. "Sweet dreams little dhampir," he said as I laid my head back on his pillow. He pulled the blanket over me and kissed my forehead. Sleep came almost instantly and for a short while I could feel the safeness of complete black sleep. NO intrusion, no pain, no nothing.

Yet.

I got a few hours of sleep before the dream came. I first opened my eyes to a white sand beach in the sunset but when I blinked the scene had drastically changed. I smelled fresh rain and grass. Below me I felt the softness of lush green grass. The sky above me was dark and covered with dark clouds. The taste of sweet bread filled my mouth with every breath. I rolled over and felt a spike of pain shoot up my spine.

My hand flew to the pain and when it retracted it was covered with copper smelling crimson blood. I tried to stand but my legs were numb, not there. I managed to sit up sort of to take in the rest of my surroundings. I sat in a field over a hundred yards wide. Trees circled around me, enclosing me. But I was not alone. I searched the field and saw the bodies of the people I knew spread out all around me. Mom, Ablerta, James, Viktoria, Yeva, Adrian, Christian, Eddie, Kirova, Stan, Mason, Lissa. Other novices, guardians, friends, and Lissa's family joined them.

_They're all dead because of you, _whispered the wind.

**Yeah!! plz review b/c it makes me feel so much better when I log in to find that somebody was nice enough to leave a comment. promise to UD soon**


	16. A Night, An Ass, And An Explanation

**Hey guys I am back as promised. heres the next chapt and I hop you really like. I warn there is a cliffy but I gotta leave you wanting more. by the way one of the longer chapts I've posted so Ima shut up now and let you enjoy - oh Im sorry and Im really happy for you. and Ima let you finish but I just gotta say Rose has the best interuptions of all time! of all time! now you can finish**

**Rose's POV**

I woke up crying into his pillows; the comforter was tousled around at the end of the bed and the clock flashing 2:00. My back ached with the memory pain from the dream and my eyes burned with hot tears. Cheeks, no doubted, a flaming red crushed into the wet pillowcase screamed for me to move.

And I did.

I rolled out of bed onto the floor, only catching myself on hands and knees with a loud thump. In the dark I found the nightstand and slowly got to my feet. The door was my next mission, once that was found and open the living room glowed with dim candlelight. It wasn't much but I could see easier. I stumbled to the couch where I found Adrian. He was in his blue plaid boxers and a black t-shirt. His pale skin beamed against the light and his brown hair still had that purposeful messy look. Our first meet at the ski lodge flashed in my mind. How much I had resented him then… And now I was carefully slipping into the open space between him and the edge. Adrian had a talent for keeping away the bad dreams, even if that meant creating one for us. I stole a blanket from the pile and flung it over us.

As I cuddled into his chest I relaxed knowing the bad dreams weren't coming back. All I could do now was sleep and hopefully not wake back up for a few hours.

Fingers traced up and down my arm while others twirled with my hair. The smell of alcohol filled the room but his scent overpowered most of it; a bit of cloves and lavender from the wash. My uneven breathing alerted him to the fact that I was no longer unconscious. "Hello little dhampir," he whispered.

"It is almost time for you to get up. You'll want a shower before you start a long day guarding the flame brain. You don't want anyone knowing about our little party." I opened my eyes and saw the smile play across his lips. "Not that I mind in any form, but why did you come out here last night?"

It was hard to answer because of my uncontrolled giggling at the matter of Adrian just calling Christian a flam brain. "Really, that's what you come up with?" I hiccupped "Flame brain?"

"It really wasn't that funny," the royal complained. I gave him a little stare and he started laughing too. "Okay maybe it was a little funny." We were both giggling unconsiderably loud and wildly.

When we managed to get under control I was finally able to answer his question. "I had a really bad dream. You make them go away. So I came to you and the nightmare stayed away." Only then did I realize our unordinary close proximity. I had to look up a tiny bit to see his full face. His leg slightly separated my own and our chests were pressed together. My head rested on the arm that played with my hair. The idea of his lips being so close danced around my mind trying to push their way to the surface. "I should go get ready," I said just before falling backwards onto the padded floor. He snorted but his face went straight when I got back up. I hurried to the bedroom to get dressed.

An hour later I sat next to Lissa and Christian in the cafeteria staring at a bagel that wasn't going to eat itself no matter how much I stared. "OS I never got the chance to ask," Lissa began. "How'd it go with Guardian Maron?"

Dazed, I dropped my fork and stuttered "What? Oh that, um, nothing yet but he said wait a few days and he would get news if there was any." I carefully pushed the fork back to its place next to the plate and continued to ramble. "He told me when he gets any word we'll be the first to know. He knows how much were worried and is doing everything he can to help."

A throat cleared behind me to shut me up. "Special delivery Rose Hathaway." Fear shot through me and I almost turned around and punched the carrier. When the faces of my vampire friends went whiter than usual Evan corrected himself. "Sorry, Vikki sent me this yesterday, I suspect she want me to give it to you."

"Thanks Evan." I took the envelope that had a outline of a black rose imprinted on the front. "Clever thinking," I joked and he laughed.

"Well I better get going. I have to get something from the dorms before I gotta follow Andy around all day." He smiled. "Later," he called as he jogged off. I settled down with my envelope as eyes flickered around me and the parchment. I slid it into my pocket determined to wait and open it later. I wasn't ready at the moment.

"Well we better get going I have boring classes just waiting to be had." Christian complained. "See you later," he kissed Lissa softly on the lips and I patted her head good bye. "Don't look so excited Hathaway. We're only going to be doing this for two and a half more months," he smirked but I could feel the double feelings. Two months with me, a bit of bwahaha torture thing going on.

I really didn't pay close attention to his classes or even what the other Guards were doing. Some stood near the door, others at the windows, others just standing at the edges of the rooms. The moroi went on with their classes as if we weren't there, how it was supposed to be, I guess. I mindlessly followed my pain in the ass around all day waiting for an attack but never getting one. Only in the classes with Lissa did I actually speak. They would sit closest to the wall and we would whisper occasionally back and forth but mostly none of us wanted to get in trouble so we stayed quiet until passing time.

"Do you think anyone would notice me tying Jesse to the flag pole this afternoon?" It wouldn't really be afternoon, for normal people it would be very early in the morning but we never required another term for it so it resumed to be called afternoon. Vampire afternoon.

Jesse had "cleverly" started talking just loud enough so that I cold hear him across the room. "You see the way the new kid was flirting with Hathaway? Probably already sleeping with him that one. Wouldn't surprise me, she's got a reputation to keep up, can't just leave one guy hanging out there." Funny thing was I hadn't slept with any guys at the school… Well I sort of did but not a student, I mean it was on campus and all but Dimitri was far from a novice. I'd come close with Adrian and James a few times but it never happened. "Got a bit of competition though, I hear. That Echo girl is rising up in the shadows…" and Jesse and Ralf had moved on to other interesting topic regarding one of the other ten dhampir girls at the school.

It wasn't hard to know most of the dhampir girls at school, especially when only eleven resided in the senior class. A few more were juniors and more and more as you went down the chain. More of us were produced, it was too soon that girls would leave to become blood whores or "vacation and just not come back" as Kirova would announce. Echo came to St. Vlads in our eight-grade year; she was quiet, kept to herself but her unique sense of everything made her slightly stand out. If I could pick one person out of the school that relatively never really belonged it would be her. Not that I didn't like her, she was nice enough I guess but she never seemed to fit. Like Lissa and I, maybe, we didn't really flow with the rest of the school, not anymore.

"Maybe, it'll be dark but I wouldn't risk it right now. You're on probation with Kirova again, remember?" Christian answered.

"Whatever. I'll find away around the rules."

"You always do," he smiled but the art teacher snapped at him and I for talking during her lecture. She snapped at Jesse and Ralf, which made me feel a little bit better. I sulked back to my corner of the room and ran through my checklist, making sure everything was protected before I let my mind relax.

When classes finished Christian met up with Lissa at the library, some things never change. Eddie was there too, though he was engulfed in a mystery novel. The twins roamed the shelves and waived as I passed. Evan stood near them as Zane was stationed as far guard and hovered further away.

"So, Rose." I turned to Lissa who spoke. "I know you killed a bunch of strigoi while you were on your little trip. Are you ever going to get the _monija_ marks for them?" Her look made me think Adrian told her already but I let open a vent in the wall that I had put between our minds to keep her out. Nothing suggested he'd betrayed my trust, she was genuinely curious that her best friend should be getting a bunch of new tattoos.

_Shit_, I wished Adrian were here right now.

"Actually Liss, I had something to tell you about that. Um, well, you know James?" She nodded. "Well he's kind of an artist. A tattooist. He uh wanted to do them himself while we were out. So I let him and ohmygosh I'm sorry I didn't show or tell you before don't beat me with a book." It all came out in a slur and I'm pretty sure hardly anybody could understand any word that came out of my mouth. Luckily Lissa spoke Rose.

"You're lucky Christian is holding my book," she growled and glared at him. "Lemme see your neck," she ordered. Still didn't get it. Without saying anything I lifted my shirt half way up my chest and turned around as I tugged more up the back without moving the front covering my chest. I heard everyone gasp and yanked it back down. "Oh. My. God. I. Can't. Believe. You. Did. That. Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod!"

"That's really hot Rose," Eddie said and Christian thwacked him upside the head. "Don't even try to pretend you don't think that is totally awesome. Rose, you look so badass with the tats. Why aren't ya showin' 'em off?" He yapped.

I sighed. "I didn't want to have to explain them to everyone. You are the only ones that know the extent of my trip around the world. The guardians would probably flip and who knows what Kirova or my mom would do to me. Will the rest of the world except them as true marks, to the rest of the vamps my trip never happened, they have no proof of what I did." I wanted to continue but Christian cut me off.

He shook his head first. "Rose, it doesn't matter what the council or the queen or anyone else thinks. What's done is done. I think it's pretty obvious who left the trail of strigoi bodies across… well everywhere. Don't worry about it. And they do look pretty cool. It's not like they are going to remove them so they'll just have to deal." Even though I hated him (not really of course) he did make sense. Why did someone else always have to tell me what I already should have known for it to get through my head the way it should have in the first place?

I sighed and sinked back into the soft reading chair. But life for us was never simple was it. Just as I was settled and the group had started up a new conversation the alarms sounded. Screams came from outside and panic arose form every ones being. Rather than stay to see what would happen, Eddie, Evan, Zane, the other dhampirs and I from the library ran outside. The alarms screamed in my ears and the smell of black ash filled my nose. We ran.

**now click the magic green button for me because if I log on to find reveiws the next chapt will be up by monday morning. I would make it tmrw or sunday morning but I wont be home until sunday afternoon. but I already have something started so itll come up all my readers and hop you had a very merry christmas, yule, kwanza, haunaka, ect. I can't name them all ppl lolz**


	17. Ever Heard of Sprinklers?

**Hey yall just like I promised here it is! And Ill probably have the next one up in a day or two…cause I don't have much to do! YEAH! I am sick of stuff its finally relax and writing time so I'll be back *runs away forgets to hit save* my bad. lol**

** Rose's POV**

Smoke clouded the night sky and filled our lungs. As we got closer we started to cough. Other novices and guardians joined us outside running further and further into the dark cloud. My stomach rolled over and nausea over came me. Only one thing did that to me. The thing I fought to destroy.

"Strigoi!"

Before my run was of curiosity now it was of urgency. My legs pushed harder and I reached the building in flames in record time. It was the guest housing building. Adrian's building. The nausea still filled my stomach but no strigoi were in sight. Eddie was by my side in seconds. "Where are they Rose?" I looked around but I only saw guardians and moroi rushing out of every exit.

"I don't know." I found James coughing his way out of the doors and ran to him. "What happened? Where are they?" I spat at him. He just looked at me, confused. "James, where are the strigoi?"

He glanced around at the coughing residents. "What are you talking about? There are no strigoi my little _Caccia. _The fire started on the third floor, probably a fireplace that was neglected for too long or a fallen candle. Alberta, hurry up with the hoses before the place goes up completely!" He yelled.

Alberta waved and hurried away before James turned back to me. "How can there not be any of them?" I uttered to myself. "James, I felt them-" I was yanked into Lissa's head unwillingly. The walls weren't as strong because of my recent peaking and I had no control when her feelings were so strong. This usually only happened when her and Christian were getting a bit _friendly _or when she was in danger/ scared shitless.

Granted she was scared at the moment because of the sudden alarm but not enough that it would drag me into her mind. No she pulled me to the source of my uncomfortness. Christian was holding her hair back and rubbing her back as she vomited into the library bathroom toilet. "It must have been the chicken at lunch, it didn't really taste right," she whispered when she though she was done but another ripple in her stomach warned her of the next load. When there was finally nothing left her head went light and the room spun. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and Christian pulled her into his arms.

"Is she okay?" Called Andrews voice from the door. We could barely hear over the alarm that still beeped loud in everyone's ears.

"She's fine!" Christian yelled back.

"There's a fire in the guest housing, started on the third floor. They think it was a fireplace. Alarms should shut off in a minute." _Good_, Lissa thought. "We're going to go find out more, back in ten. Hope you feel better Lissa!" Damon and Andrew shouted at the same time. The door closed.

Lissa sat contently shortly before realizing, "Shit! The third floor is Adrian!" Lissa snapped and her boyfriend. "It was probably his cigarettes." She jumped to her feet and pulled him with her. "Go. Go," she ordered, shoving him out the door. As they ran the alarms went silent and only the novice's shouts filled the air.

I snapped back into my head and James was holding me upright so I wouldn't fall. "We have to get to Adrian!" I pushed James out of my way but I could still hear Him and Eddie at my heals. Alberta was on her way with the hoses but Adrian might not be able to wait that long. Guardians tried to prevent my entering but I slipped around them and into the smoke filled building. It was hard to see but I knew my way around the school like the back of my hand. I had to know every inch of the place when Lissa and I took our little field trip a few years back.

First rule of a burning building: never even try the elevator. Yes it could be fast, but when there's a fire it's not going to work and it will likely brake in mid-ride if you can get in it in the first place. Always use the stairs. Never under any circumstances attempt to use an elevator in a fire. I was up in three strides. Check. Second rule of a burning building: always check a door. If you put your hand on the door and it is hot, don't open it unless you are a professional or are wearing protective gear. Unless you want fire exploding in your face and burning your flesh I suggest following rule number two. Uncheck.

Adrian's door was hot which proved that Lissa was right about the fir e starting in his room. It wasn't until I heard wheezing from the inside that I started to panic. Using rule number two on the other door I figured out that at least two other rooms were filled with flames and not just smoke, not to say that the fire hadn't traveled down into the second floor as well. Every pore of my being told me not to open the door, to wait for Alberta, to wait for anyone.

_They come first._

It was the first thing I was taught since I was born. Before I could walk I knew that protecting them was my mission. My life dedicated to Lissa since the accident that killed her family. Our unbreakable bond that marked us as sisters, and I the shadow kissed. It was the rule I'd thrown out the window to save Dimitri from himself. The rule that if I didn't follow now would kill Adrian. I couldn't let that happen.

I kicked the door open and jumped back when flames erupted to the sudden extra oxygen. Knocking all fear aside I stormed the apartment looking for my best friend. He wasn't in the living room or the kitchen; otherwise he would have made it out already. Flames consumed the furniture and blocked the windows. I could barely see with the heat clenching my eyes and the smoke that clouded everything. Pushing past piece of the crumbling roof and fallen shelves I finally reached his bedroom door. "Adrian!" I screamed followed by my choking on air. Flames prickled on my skin, stinging everything.

I heard him cough before shouting my name. "I'm in here!" Cough. "A ceiling beam fell in," cough, "front of the door! I can't get it out of the way!" Cough. "If you can," cough, "can open the door on that side, I can crawl out!" Cough.

"Okay. I'll get it open! Just hold on Adrian!" The hinges were half melting into the door so I would have to get the door moving fast. I heard him coughing from inside and reached for the doorknob, in the process burning my hand. "Sonuva- Christ!" I sang out infidelities while shaking my hand and swatting it against my thigh. "Ow, shit!" Rule number three: don't touch a hot doorknob. It hurts. A lot. Trust me.

"What happened? Are you okay!" He yelled.

"I'm okay. I burned my hand on the door. Don't worry, I got you!" Thinking fast I pulled off my shirt and wrapped it around my other hand before going for the doorknob. This time it was only warm through the shirt. Flames still licked at my side but I ignored them and pulled as hard as I could on the door. It didn't budge. "Dammit," I muttered. I hooked my foot up on the wall next to the door and used it as leverage to yank on the door. It moved. It didn't open all the way but it came closer to freedom. I yanked again, harder and harder with each try until it was wide enough for a person to squeeze through. "Adrian! Come on!" I crouched and thrust my hand into the burning room. His fingers wrapped around mine and I pulled him through the opening. "Move! Now!" The beam that once blocked the door became to weak and crumpled and fell where he used to be. I kept hold of his hand, stood, and ran to the door. We had to avoid more ceiling tiles falling down in front of and behind us. We stepped in flames and kicked through furniture until jumping through the door.

The fire had spread to the hall hallway so we had to duck and we sprinted, as best we could under the conditions, to the staircase. We coughed and coughed our insides out as we ran making it harder to concentrate. Which made me forget rule number four of burning buildings: check the floor. It the floor is weak you can lose a foot or fall in and get stuck there. Precisely what I did going down the stairs. We were almost at the bottom when the floor went soft and my foot stomped through the wood. Blood dripped down my leg from cuts on my leg. All the way to my thigh, my leg had disappeared into the building's structure.

Adrian who I'd pushed ahead of me skidded to a stop and grabbed my arm trying to help me out. "I'm not leaving you Rose!" he argued when I told him to go. "I refuse to leave until you're at my side. Now pull!" He nearly yanked my arm out of place and I groaned with pain. He tried going behind me and lifting me out by the shoulders but I was too far stuck.

"Go get James!" I ordered at him. Now with a plan, he found it okay to run for help. I leaned back on one of the steps and tried moving but my burned hand would allow me to use it to pull myself free. At the sound of rushing water I lost consciousness, falling into the black

**Now click the magical green button and review because it really does make me wanna right more for you guys. BTW I love you all. I am so not a ppl person so feel special lol jk=) R&R… oh eait you already read…. R then…**

**I think…….**


	18. Burn Notice

**Hey hey! Thanks for all the reviews guys I'm glad that I'm keeping you all interested. Lol. And Crimson-Fox-825 don't cry =) be happy and be healthy to quote my favorite cereal commercial. To ElEnA-NeNa and anyone who was wondering why Rose felt sick when there was no strigoi was because of the bond and Lissa getting food poisoning. Thanks again for everyone who reviewed! Hope you enjoy this next one!**

**Rose's POV**

My head hurt a lot. It mixed with the pain in my leg to create the most uncomfortable situation I was hoping not to have since I got back. Something sharp stabbed into my wrist and I immediately thought the worst: the strigoi had gotten into the school and this breath could be my last. I reacted quickly, surprised that there were no restraints and sprang up from the bed. The pain grew in my arm, as something was jabbed deeper and my face went red as I realized I had just punched Dr. Olendzki in the nose.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" I yelped. I looked at my wrist and saw the needle that I had forced further into a deep gash that must have been caused while I was out cold. Adrian sat in the chair across the room staring at me in amusement and James stood quietly next to him smiling as well as trying to hold in a laugh. "It's not funny!" I shot at them both and their looks sobered up but they stayed quiet.

A nurse that must have heard him fall rushed into the room and helped him up while asking James what had happened. "I'm all right Tanya," the doctor said. "Nice punch kid, though I am a bit tired of having you in my infirmary all the time. You can go Tanya, nothing's broken, I have to finish stitching her forearm." Dr. Olendzki smiled at me and gestured for Tanya to leave. I laid back down and held still when the doc pulled the needle out of the cut, wiped it off and continued to his work. I only flinched a bit at the pain. "So I get why you rushed into the fire to save your friend, but how did you sprain your ankle, cut your knee, get a third degree burn on your hand, and cut your wrist all in one trip?"

_I_ nearly laughed at him. "I got the burn from trying to open a door, my ankle and knee must be from when I fell through the stairs and my wrist, well I can't really explain that one." He just shook his head at me. "Hey Doc," I said. " Why can't I feel any pain in my leg or my hand but the needle through my wrist woke me up a little… uh… violently?"

"I was hoping you might tell me that miss Hathaway," the Doc said. He tied the stitches and put the white tape over it. "I gave you some pain meds, you shouldn't really be feeling anything. I don't know. You might start feeling your other injuries in a few hours though. Take these," he handed me a prescription bottle. "Two at a time every six hours should keep the pain away. They'll last the month but only take them if you need them."

I shook the bottle between my fingers and stuck it in my pocket only now realizing I was wearing a button up shirt that sure didn't come from my wardrobe. "By the way, the tattoos look amazing," he said adding a laugh. "Hope I'm not crossing a line but they really are gorgeous. I was wondering where you had gotten them. They must have been while you were away but were they done by our community-" he was rambling so I pointed to James and he shrugged. My mother and Kirova must have been keeping to themselves. "Oh my. Well I must be going and so should you. Good day Hathaway, Gaurdian Maron, Lord Ishkov. I look forward to possibly speaking to you in the future Maron." And he rushed out of the room that would lead to the office area.

As soon as the door had shut Adrian and James skidded to my side. "How are you?" They both asked.

"I'm fine, really," like a switch flipped in my mind my attitude changed. "How did you start a fire?" I spat at Adrian catching him by surprise. "You burned all my stuff and yours. Yeah you can buy more but I can't! It was your smoking, wasn't it? I can't believe you sometimes. You shouldn't even be smoking inside! Were you drunk at the same time? You are so-" the rest of my words were muffled by his hand over my mouth which I really didn't much like so I bit his hand. While he was shouting behind James I started to keep going but James hand covered my mouth.

I thought about biting him too, but if they wanted me to shut up this badly they probably had something to tell me. Not that I wanted to hear it right now. "I didn't start the fire, nor was anything of yours burned. Alberta and the guys got your stuff out an hour ago and into your new dorm. I was not smoking or drunk. I was in the bathroom before the place went up. I have no idea what happened but I didn't do it. And ow," Adrian explained shaking his hand out. "You can probably let her speak now. I think she's done yelling." James let go but kept just as close.

But if he didn't start the fire, then who did? Fires don't start themselves.

-

My left hand was the one burned so I couldn't use it as an excuse to not do anything on Friday. It was wrapped up in gaws and Dr. Olendzki had given me extra pills to try and help the skin grow healthy and normal. James also gave me some type of gel that kept the burning to a minimum and gets the skin growing faster. My leg didn't give me much trouble after the first day and the stitches were healing. Lissa had explained that it was her fault I got sick, she'd had food poisoning and it just seemed to flow through the bond like the shadows.

Most of the royals that stayed in the guest housing had gone back home. The ones that stayed moved into the cabins on the edge of the campus and round the clock guards were posted out there at Adrian's person request. It was actually my request; I didn't like him or anyone else living so close to the edge after the strigoi battle that took Dimitri, but no way would Kirova listen to what I had to say. I had made it my personal mission to avoid her at any cost.

The fire was on Thursday now it was Sunday and I was relishing my last day of freedom before I had to follow Christian around for another four days. My new dorm was the same as the old and every other dorm in all off the buildings. I was across the hall from the bath/shower room giving me a head start advantage to the rest of the floor. My clothes all inhabited the dresser and the closet. My old comforter covered my bed. Movies and a few books were on the desk with the provided computer. Everything was like it used to be.

The only thing that was bugging me was the unopened letter from Viktoria on the small table next to my bed. I'd been staring at it most of the day. I was finally about to pick it up and open it when Lissa knocked on my door. "Rose! Come on you have to see it! Get out here!" Lissa ordered urgently. Her voice was filled with excitement, so much that I couldn't deny her that buzz. I got up and opened the door.

"What happened Liss?" I asked.

"I though you might like seeing Jesse bleed. He got beat up by a girl, again! Come on." I didn't need to hear anything else. My mood brightened a little bit as we hurried into the courtyard where Jesse was on his ass holding his bleeding nose while a circle of student formed around him. But he wasn't the only one that everyone was staring at. Echo Laurie stood a few feet away from him fists curled, one with a bit of blood. It was obvious she was different looking at her now. She wore a black T with a very dark purple short skirt and black and green striped tights and knee high black felt boots. Her hair was dark red and pulled into a messy bun with a lot of loose strands. She was different but by any standards very pretty. Jesse was sort of right about me having a bit of competition. If Echo wanted to, she could probably give me a bit of a run for my money.

"What happened?" I asked a junior that we stood next to.

"Jesse was trying to get Echo to sleep with him, when she refused he called her a stupid whore for sleeping half of the senior class. Said he was better than all of them. She didn't like it too much. Kinda reminds me of a few of your incidents Hathaway. I can't count how many times you've had to throw a punch for this kind of shit." I laughed because this did happen to me often and it wasn't surprising that I wasn't the only one this happened to. It surprised me that She'd let him get close enough to talk to her in the first place.

Echo stormed away and the crowd clapped as she left. Ralf helped Jesse up and took him to the infirmary with the newly arrived Stan. He didn't look to keen on helping such a whiny Jesse but he was a teacher and it was his jod. The crowd dispersed in laughter and whispers. "You wanna come to the library with Christian and I?" Lissa asked as we walked away,

I hook my head. "Nah. I think I'll go see how Adrian is doing in the cabin I haven't seen him since lunch Friday."

"All right. I'll see you at dinner. Later!" She hollered over her shoulder as she ran off towards the library." I waved as she left and then walked off in the other direction towards the cabins where Adrian was staying until the construction was done and he could go back to living closer in campus. I knew which cabin he was in; he'd made an effort to show me Friday morning.

I stared at the ground and hummed to myself until I heard his voice. The voice that continued to haunt me. "Hello my Roza," he whispered before I crashed to the ground.

**Sorry once again a cliffy but I have to leave you hanging because I'm about to watch a movie and this chapter is long enough. So TTFN but reviews will get the next chapter up tmrw night=)**


	19. More than a ghost

**Okay hi guys. I is back once again I'm sorry I know I promised 19 Friday night but my computer broke down and I spent the day fixing it and installing new programs that will hopefully keep it fixed. To IIreyna27 Rose has not passed out which is about to be continued upon. She fell that's it. Well I don't have much to say but happy new years eve. Hope everyone has fun.**

**Rose's POV**

The sound of his voice startled me enough that I didn't notice the huge rock in front of me. When I tried to turn around I tripped and fell over my own feet. I would have gone face first into the dirt but my good hand was fast enough to catch me. I flipped over and jumped to my feet. Dimitri was not there. My head twitched in every direction to catch the sight of him.

He was gone.

In even more of a hurry I fast walked to Adrian's cabin and pounded my fist into the door. I didn't care that a Guardian was standing several feet away from me, I wanted in. After the fourth knock Adrian opened the door and I almost hit him still going for the door. "Hello, little dhampir," he greeted. He moved out of the way and welcomed me in. "What brings you here today?"

The cabins all pretty much looked the same before. I'm they were all renovated for the guests but Adrian kept his simple, hoping he wouldn't be there long. He also probably didn't have much to put in it, even with rushed delivery. He kept the fireplace unlit, only a lamp keeping the light. A bed centered the farthest wall form the door., next to it the table holding the lamp. The only other piece of furniture was a small bench that he'd added cushions to that rest left of the front door. The only other door in the cabin led to the bathroom. "I haven't talked you in two days. What happened to my favorite stalker?" He laughed. "What?"

"You hated when I 'stalked' you" he had finger quotes over 'stalked'. "Now you're asking me to! I'm sorry but that's just too funny." He continued giggling as I glared at him.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Bite me," I spat before I could hold myself back. His laughing grew louder and wilder. He was crying and I swear he could have pissed himself. He fell back onto the bed dieing with laughter and choking all at the same time. "It really wasn't all that funny Adrian," I spoke while glaring at him.

He sat up and managed to calm himself a bit but continued chuckling. "Bite me? Leave it to Rose to tell a _vampire_ to 'bite me'!" I had to admit it was a little funny. I even started giggling too, until we both regained our heads. "So little dhampir, other than being my entertainment for the day, what brings you to my humble abode?"

I sat up and crossed my legs on the bed. Adrian sat in front of me and smirked as he mimicked each of my movements. "I don't know what to do about Dimitri. His ghost got to me outside. I didn't actually see him but I heard him call my name. I don't know what to do and it's freaking me out Adrian… After… I… I just can't. Every time I see him I wonder if I'd made the right decision in not taking his offer."

My eyes betrayed me; the water welling up blocked my sight. I felt Adrian adjust on the bed and put his arms around me. "You made the right decision little dhampir. There's no denying what good came of it. You made him a promise and you kept it. I could never watch you become the thing you hated most. It'd kill me too. And Dimitri will just have to get over you because he's dead. If he's really getting to you this much have someone with you all the time, don't go outside unless you or Christian need to, in less than forty days now he should be gone, right?" He referred to the research and questions asked I'd asked Father Andrew in the school church so long ago. The answers I got gave me a good start on the mysteries of being shadow kissed and ghosts. When I had been asking, I wanted to know how to get rid of Mason's ghost, now I wanted rid of Dimitri.

I whispered, "Right." The tears cleared and I was at the wall across the room. An impulse took over my body, I'd promised fair chance to Adrian when I got back because he really did earn it. It wouldn't be much more than my already using him for comfort since I got back but I knew he would see it as something more. Right now I didn't care. He deserved it. I pulled away and saw his frowning face before I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you Adrian." I leaned back again and smiled. No suggestions, no comments, no words, he just sat there. "Dinner time, let's go."

His face was so dumbfounded as I stood up, took him by the hands and pulled him up too. I led him to the door but had to let go of his hands before anyone got the wrong idea. I really didn't need to hear more rumors floating out of Jesse's mouth. He followed me to the cafeteria silently and just staring straight ahead not really looking at anything. "Honestly Adrian how dazed could you be? Snap out of it," I ordered. His head jerked forward and back and he glanced around confusingly. "What the hell Adrian?"

He yawned, "I don't know. That was weird. One second you had kissed me and your aura was bright, then the shadows came but they vanished. I apologize but I was trying to compel you not to move before, when you did it was like I hot stuck. That's never happened before. Hm." He pondered for a moment but we kept walking to the table.

The cafeteria was filled with yammering students and a few Guardians to keep an eye on things. Only a third of the population paid any attention to their food. Adrian ignored the food layout but I through a roll onto a plate, grabbed some water and met everyone at a much bigger table than I was used to. Not only were Lissa, Christian, Eddie and Adrian there but now the twins and their guards: Evan and Zane were all cramped at the table that was only supposed to fit six minus Adrian who just stood around. When I approached Lissa and Eddie made the attempt to scoot over but it was useless with all of the people so Eddie stood up and gave me his spot next to Lissa because he was done eating. "Have you opened that letter yet?" Lissa asked.

"No," I replied. "Haven't brought myself to yet. I think I will when we get back to the rooms though. I ought to make up with Vik after the way things were left." Broken and dead. She hated me when I'd left and likely convinced the rest of the Belikov family I was no good too. I had loved them like family and Viktoria like a sister; I didn't want to leave things so hurt between us. I hoped she would forgive me for the Rolan incident, maybe she did and then maybe she didn't. Maybe she wanted to be friends anyway. I didn't know. It was ought about time I found out though.

"Vikki sent you a letter?" Evan asked between laughing and teaching Zane the importance of steal toe boots in combat situations. "When?"

"Just this week Evan. She sent it to you; you gave it to me a few days ago. Don't you remember? It had a rose stamped on it. You told me she had sent it to you to give to me," I explained. I looked at him blankly, wondering how he could forget but hey, everyone's got problems.

He stared back at me and got that completely blank expression a person gets when they tried to remember something they did while being compelled. "What are you talking about? I haven't got a letter from Viktoria, let alone one to give to you." The letter didn't come from Viktoria. It probably didn't come from any dhampir for that matter. Or a moroi.

_If the wards were intact, I should see nothing. _I remember from my visit with Christian to Alice. _If something was wrong with the school's wards, then I wasn't the only one in danger._ No. _What if the wards are just weak?_ I'd asked Dimitri at the chapel. It had all come true. Alice had been right about the wards being weak. It was what let me occasionally see Mason; it was how he warned me before the strigoi attacked. Now Dimitri was back and haunting me, which meant the wards had to be weak. Which meant that something or someone was weakening them again. _The hand. It's this stupid secret society that pops at schools. We had a chapter of it back at Alder. It's mostly a bunch of royals getting together and having secret meetings to talk about how much better they are that everyone else._

Only it was much more than all of this.

Much, much more.

**Woohoo guys again thanks for waiting patiently and other not so patiently but my computer really does suck sometimes. IM hoping that it's all-good now so click the little magical review button and tell me what you think of this chapter. BTW all of the italic thoughts are quoted from shadow kissed because I'm super legit! So thanks. Review*_***


	20. Late Echos

**Thanks so much Saphrenia, Annika Taylor, Alana-Banana1987, Iireyna27, valekfan007, ElEnA-NeNa, and VampireBookAddict for your great reviews. It's nice too keep readers and gain new ones. You reviews tell me that someone is still interested lol. So keep up the reviews and my days or reversed so I stay up all nights writing more=). BTW Avery was never there which is why the pyro and Lissa are good=) just though Id mention…**

**Rose's POV**

Could I be going crazy?

When _the hand _tried to recruit Lissa, she used her spirit to cause Jesse pain. I made her send all that energy to me and then I almost killed him myself. Dimitri finally got pulled me off Zeklos and took me to the cabins near the edge of the campus. It was that night that nothing could ever be the same. That night changed the course of everyone's lives forever. It was the night Dimitri and I had declared our love, the night we had made it, and the night the strigoi launched an attack on the school.

The wards had been weakened over weeks because of _the hand's_ alleged activities. They were using a lot of magic torturing other royals to get them to use compulsion to make them stop. I'd seen so many welted and bruised kids, all blaming their injuries on a fall. They did all of this for some stupid royal secret society where royals just sat around and bitched about hot much better they were from everybody else. After the invasion everyone knew how the wards were broken, they all knew who was to blame, what people were at fault, and yet they were at it again. Or they might have been…

I didn't say anything before I took off running to my dorm. I heard them call my name and footsteps charging behind me but they were fast enough to keep my pace. Dimitri's first rule was: when in doubt, run. And I had learned it well. I reached the room in record time, storming into the room to find the stamped enveloped right where I had left it. It was sealed with a rose at the point of entry in a thick parchment. Vikki would not have gone to that level of postage. Without a second thought I shredded the envelope and unfolded the note inside.

_Rosemarie Hathaway_

_My dearest Rose, it has been a while, how are my little friends? Oh and you dear rescuer? Mustn't forget him, not very good aim that one has. Took me a few meals with a bit of help to get back on my feet but I will never under estimate you again. You did cause a slight loss in my ranks and then there was you and my little snacks. Regardless, nothing is going to stop me from watching you kill all of your little friends._

_Niefro_

_P.S. Nathan sends his hello_

"Niefro," I growled the name.

"What?" Adrian coughed as h ran panting into the room behind me.

I stared at the note a moment longer before I handed it to him. He asked again, who Niefro was. "After I killed Dimitri, I was taken by group of strigoi as you already know. Their leader was Niefro; he was bent on having the most feared free lancer at the time on their side. He wanted me to join so he kept me locked up in a cave. That's where I met Damon and Andrew or his "little snacks". When James had come and we escaped James had stabbed Niefro in the heart. Or at least we thought he did. The last one ran off into the caves to retreat to the masses of their party. James must have missed though and once we left they were able to save Niefro. Nathan was the vampire that turned Dimitri. He taunted me every time I chased down Dimitri and his crew." Adrian stared, bugged eyed at the note, then me and then back to the note. His looked mirrored my surprise.

"Shit," he said. I nodded at fear overwhelmed me. I started breathing heavily and my eyes twisted around the room.

----------

Sleep was absolutely impossible. I tossed and turned most f the night before I just gave up. I rolled off the bed, almost falling on my face and crawled to the desk to pull myself up. I saw my horrid reflection and pulled a brush through my hair a few times so that I looked semi-normal. I stepped into the bathroom and splashed cool water on my face and neck before deciding I needed fresh Montana air.

Normally the tinted windows in all the dorms stayed sealed shut at night, even the dhampirs and sun didn't bother us. They stayed hidden behind heavy drapes and folded blinds to keep any and all light out as we were _supposed_ to sleep through the day. Tonight or today, whichever fit, I silently opened up the window and found that my new room had a perfect view of a large cherry tree. It sat directly outside my window, enclosed by those old wrought iron gates, and covered with leaves and blossoming flowers and fruits. Any other day it would have been just a pretty tree; right now it was a plan for the future.

.It was a typical summer day in Montana. The sun blared into my eyes and the heat stacked up sweat on my face just thinking about it. Birds flew above overhead, ignoring the school that wasn't on anyone's, map. Everything was bright and glowed under the sun. The grass was starting to dull in color and all of the plants flourished with blooms.

Recently, I'd noticed they'd picked up night security because of all of the novices sneaking around and such… okay so most of it happened to be me… through every year of high school, but so what? So instead of sneaking out the front door, which I had proved so easy until Dimitri caught me, I hooked my arm in the gutter and proceeded to lift myself out of the room and onto the roof. After some grunting and kicking of the wall, I made it to the roof.

I was only in sweat pants and a tank top but I still seemed to warm. I tiptoed to the top/center of the room and sat as comfortably as I could on the hard tiling. I felt the heat on my arms and face the most, the sun turning my light tan darker. I relished in the heat, feeling safe, as I always did during sunlight hours. Strigoi couldn't attack in the sun- it made me feel safer. I had not anticipated actually being caught so she I heard a thump and someone walk up behind me, I was surprised. "What are you doing up here?" A female voice asked.

"I could ask you the same question, Echo," I mentioned as I spun myself around. She stood behind me in a pair of daisy duke shorts ad a white tank top with her curly red hair falling down her shoulders. She was pale for a dhampir but with this sun, she'd be getting a tan in no time. "Sneaking out, breaking the rules, same old same old. You?"

She smirked and sat down next to me and stared off into space. "I'm up here every night. I don't sleep much for some reason, never found it useful. Turned ten and haven't slept more than four hours a night. Three normally. I like it up here, lets me think. You've always been the one known to break the rules, thanks too though, it meant that I haven't gotten caught for anything in the past five years." She smiled again.

"Good job with Jesse earlier," told her. "It kinda made my day to see him getting beaten up by someone besides me." We both laughed and watched the tops of the buildings. "Ever get that feeling that you're being watched?" I asked her.

"All the time. Even know I feel like something is observing us. Like it wants us to do something but we just don't know what."

"I do too," but I had a good idea of who it was. Either Dimitri was haunting me, or my imagination of him was. There was no way to be sure if I was truly going crazy and after everything I'd done, I just might be. Maybe it was PTSD, or aftershock of the strigoi venom, or even the look in Dimitri's eyes when I finally killed him. Something was hovering over me and dropping bricks on my shoulders every chance it got. I wanted to believe I wasn't going crazy and Dimitri was still following me around, but I also had an issue with him not being able to move on.

And if he really was here then the wards were weak and another attack was impending. If he wasn't the minute we graduated Niefro, and his horde of followers at his back would come for us anyway. I wanted neither to happen really, I just wanted Dimitri gone, I wanted to move on with life and become Lissa's guardian. I wanted to be able to move on and I wanted him to be happy wherever her was. I would always love Dimitri no matter heat and if soul was really going through so much torment, I wanted to disappear.

----------

Surprisingly enough, I actually got a few hours of sleep the next morning. I met up with Christian for breakfast and we went to the feeders he kissed Lissa before we all split for classes and guarding. I followed Sparky around routinely and Eddie followed Lissa. Our paths regularly crossed and we were able to socialize but mostly we had to stay in character. We weren't attacked but Lissa and Eddie had been. I felt like the teachers were ignoring me for some reason, and I guess they did have reason to, but they could make it even look like I was being tested on something. Just because I survived the real world strigoi doesn't mean I don't still enjoy getting revenge on my teachers for the last time.

That night at dinner, we were all laughing at a joke that Adrian had told when I felt a wave of nausea and heard a faint whisper of, "_Roza_," taunting me. He breathed on my neck and I jumped at the feel. Screams rang around me letting me know it wasn't my imagination anymore. "Lesson number two…"

**I feel like celebrating 20 so here's a bit of a challenge. First reviewer that can answer all my questions correctly will get the chapter a day early:**

**On the show **_**Firefly **_**name the captain (first and last), what war he fought in, who he is married to, and what body part was cut off by a Russian criminal.**

**Go, if you want the 21st chapter. Yeah XD**


	21. Sleep

**Congrats Saphrenia, who won the chapter 21-question competition. On firefly, Captain Malcolm Reynolds ****was a sergeant in the Battle of Serenity Valley-Unification War. He was unknowingly married to Saffron who in her return episode met two other of her husbands and called her Yo-Saff-Bridge (Yolanda Saffron and Bridget). After going back on a deal with a Russian man, Niska, Mal and his pilot Wash, were kidnapped and tortured inn Niska's space station. When the first mate Zoey came to rescue them, Niska only let Wash leave with Mal's ear. I love this show and if you don't watch it you should!! And the movie Serenity.**

**Rose's POV**

"No you're dead! This can't be! I killed you!" I shouted at hi. My worst fear had come alive. Dimitri wasn't really dead, I had hesitated and the stake missed. I stood back against the wall shaking my head and letting tears fall as Dimitri watched me.

"Try a little harder next time _Roza_," he said easing closer to me. "We're going to have to be working on your slaying skills. This time I won't be giving you the choice." From two yards away Dimitri was instantly at my side. "Shhh Roza, don't cry my love. I promise it won't hurt. We'll be together forever," he whispered in my ear. I tried to kick him, to hit him, anything but I couldn't move. His stare bored into my eyes and pierced my heart. He leaned down and kissed my neck, to my jaw, and back again before his pause. I wanted to scream but sound had disappeared we were alone in the dark, just him and I. Hot breath caressed my shoulder before I felt the short pain of teeth stabbing at my skin before utter bliss washed over.

"Rose!" Lissa shrieked but my joy and love for Dimitri overpowered her voice. I started to become light headed and my Russian god released. I collapsed into his arms as he pet my near black hair. I held onto him for dear life until he pulled me away and held his own wrist to me. At first I shook my head but his deep eyes took over and I bit into his wrist with all force I could manage. "Rose!" she shrieked again and when I opened my eyes I was no longer in the dream.

I'd been leaning on the dinner table with my face in my palm. Lissa was shaking my shoulder and yelling at me to wake up. Most of the cafeteria was empty and only our table as well as few others remained. Adrian glanced at me with worry but returned to his conversation with Christian about the importance of royal kiss-assing to get higher up in status. "I'm okay," I said. It had all been a dream. I groaned but slugged to stand up and smile. "Just tired." Lissa's face scream _Liar_ at me. I sighed and stretched out. "When are we leaving Sparks?"

"Now, I was waiting for you," Christian said, interrupting Adrian. He mouthed _run_ at me and suggested we go. "See you later Liss. First the feeders then I'll let Rose sleep." Christian kissed Lissa's forehead and then her lips before grabbing my arm and tugging me out with him. "I'll have to thank her later. You need to get all the sleep possible tonight so Adrian will monopolize _your_ time."

I laughed and followed him to the feeders. "Sorry, I've just been tired lately. I promise not to fall asleep so you have to endure an hour or so talking to Adrian," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm as I raised my right hand to oath. "It amazes me how often the two of you get Alice as your feeder," I commented as I stopped at her little cubicle.

"Rose, you're back, and guarding Christian again. It's good to see you. I'm sure you had quite an adventure chasing your beloved. I feel much safer now that you are back." I stared. How did she know about me? How did she know about anything? What the- She always knew! My eyes were practically popping out of my head as her face went blank and then sagged with pleasure from the vampire bite. When Christian had his fill, he wiped his mouth and patted Alice's shoulder goodbye, though she wouldn't remember it with al the endorphin freshly streaming through her body.

As we walked away I asked, "Did you guys say anything to her about my being gone?" He shook his head and shrugged. "Then how is it she knew what I'd been doing? And the strigoi attack, how?"

"I don't know Rose. Maybe she's psychic or something, it's not unheard of. Alice has always seemed to know what's happening before we do and the things no one tells her. Maybe she just had a lucky guess seeing as you were gone for three months." I clamped my mouth shut with pressed lips and Christian and I ascended to his dorm room. Normally girls weren't allowed in the male dorms after curfew and vice versa but during the field experience tests we had to follow the moroi everywhere. We had to do everything a guardian would do including carrying the stake, taking down strigoi, acting as a personal stalker and sleeping in the same room to make sure that they were protected at all times. Strigoi didn't come out in the daytime but if a moroi went into the human world of business they may be sleeping at night, which meant danger. Guardians always had to be close in case of an attack.

During the tests, though, night attacks were rare. Only the lucky few were startled awake by an attack and rarely did they ever win. So at night the dhampir novices slept in their moroi's dorms or they other way around if they wanted to be safer from the teacher's attacks. Even though most dhampirs were male and many were paired with female moroi and the few girls paired with male moroi, we still got to break the every day curfew rules, which made me proud in and of it all.

My small little mattress looked very welcoming on the floor. Once the door closed and Christian had locked it (for attacks) I fell onto my haven with a pillow and blanket and quickly was once again in a deep black sleep.

----

Another arrow shot past my face, missing, only by inches.

We had nowhere to run and nowhere hide. The arrows and bullets were coming faster and more frequent which I guessed meant more of them had joined the chase against us but I didn't dare look back to check. Further and further down the road we ran until we reached the cornfield. We paused at the border but the sound of whistling rods and gunshots had us sprinting into the six-foot stalks.

But twenty feet in I lost sight of all of them, even the seekers. I searched and listened to the whispers in the winds but they had just disappeared around me. The next I heard of them was their screams of horror before the seekers executed them. I screamed their names and sobbed into emptiness until I tripped over my own feet to bring myself to the ground, hard. I must have hit a rock because I smelled blood, but no pain. Everything was numb, like someone had injected me with morphine. When I tried to move nothing would respond. All I could do was watch as my friends and I were eliminated from our world at last.

_They're all dead because you screwed up. You should have listened._

I felt the heat before I saw the flames. The seekers were burning the field to easily get rid of the bodies. I must have been the only one alive still, barely.

_Don't think that, they could have gotten away._

Doubtful. I sank into the ground as far as I could but when I tried to lift it above me, my magic was with the rest of me: gone. All I could do was lay and watch. My lungs filled with scratchy ash and smoke and my eyes burned. The smell of death, earth, and evil all mixed together to make me sick.

_It will be over soon._

I cried but held in screams, for they would do nothing but lure the seekers back to me. As the flames took over my body, though, I couldn't help but scream because of the immerse pain. I wished it would stop, that it would be over.

_Why should it? It's what you deserve you killed them all._

The last of the pain washed away and I finally felt the relief of peaceful death.

"What's wrong little dhampir?" Adrian asked. I opened my eyes to see that my nightmare faded. I was standing on the beach, blue bikini and barefoot with Adrian only a few feet away gazing at me. His shirt was lost, leaving only swim trunks, on a tree in the background with its shade hovering over a basket. The waves pooled in and salt water smelled like bliss. Birds chirped and flew overhead not caring about the beautiful scene below. "Your aura is dark, scared, and you look a bit agitated."

I sighed and felt relief that the flames had gone. "Bad dream. Thanks for casing it away. Where are we tonight?"

"The beach. Not sure which one, or if it is a real beach. It came form your imagination so I don't know. But I have more than just personal reasons to come to you tonight. I would have come to the room but I just found out and this was quicker and quieter."

"What is it?" I asked. He told me. I gasped and sat up awake. Hitting the door on my way out I ran out of the dorm, down the stairs and into pure daylight. This can't be happening! No, no, no, no, no, no! Should have killed him, should have done something. Our past came once again biting us in the butts and this time we may not all make it out alive.

**Thanks for reading guys I'm really sorry I haven't posted soon enough. You know, finals. The suck and take up all your time. But this is the last week so I will be getting more up soon promise. Click the magic button and review por favor!!**


	22. Hasta luego

**Hey guys back again for el 22. Hope you guys like R&R **

**Rose's POV**

This could not be happening. Of all the things, it had to be him. Could we really not go a lifetime without him? How did it even happen anyway? I hear it's pretty hard to come back from that kind of thing. What happened to that little thing called karma? Didn't I do enough good that for once things could go my way? Didn't he do enough bad that he would just stay gone? Nothing ever made sense in our world. Nothing.

After running from the dark room, the sunlight hit me with a bang. I blinked hard, but I kept running. I knew the academy like the back of my hand, I didn't need to see right away.

I sprinted across the quad to Lissa's building. The moroi at the front desk protested to my being out after curfew but didn't chase me up the stairs. I found Lissa's room on the third floor, to far to the end of the hallway. I fisted the door so loud I probably woke up the rest of the hallway if my running hadn't already. Eddie opened the door with groggy eyes and form behind him Lissa asked who it was. "Rose? What are you doing here?" Eddie stuttered.

I shoved past him getting, moving for Lissa. "Lissa, get up and put your shoes on. We're leaving. We have to get out of the academy _now_!" I grabbed her ID and cash off the table and pocketed it.

"What are you talking about Rose? What the hell do you mean we have to leave? You just got back! Why?" Lissa said still not moving form her bed.

I grabbed her ipod too, so she would have sort of entertainment. "He's back Liss," the look on my face told her exactly who it was, sparing me from spitting his name. Her face went pale and she stopped breathing before she leaped form the bed and to the dresser. "We have to leave before he comes. We leave and we can save the academy and save us at the same time. We stay and people are going to die, I can't let that happen. We have to leave now, so get dressed and move!" I ordered at her. I glanced out into the hallway to see if the door watch had called anyone fast enough to catch us.

Eddie was back against the wall staring at us with wide eyes. He knew. "I'm coming with you," he demanded.

I shook my head. "You can't. This is between us. I'm not dragging you into it too. Stay here and help the school."

"I don't believe I asked Hathaway. You're not going without me. If you get into trouble you'll need someone on your back. I'm coming and there's no way you can stop me." I sighed and smiled. I would have hugged him if this wasn't urgent but we needed to go. I threw his shoes at him and he got them one just as Lissa finished changing into jeans and running shoes. "Let's get out of here before the guardians come."

We ran.

The moroi that had been at the desk was gone. I wondered until we got outside and I saw two guardians with him coming back. Two I didn't know so well. "We'll have to take them down," I told Eddie as they approached yelling at us to get back inside. He nodded and we attacked. With the experience going on we'd been fighting the teachers all week (the others for months). This wasn't much different. Eddie hit and kicked his surprised opponent to the ground. I had a tall older dhampir; he had the plastered expression though his eyes showed surprise. I fought and pinned him to the ground. Lissa took care of the rest, making them think they were covered in snakes using her compulsion. I didn't exactly approve of the approach but at the moment I didn't mind that much.

When we got to the gate we weren't the only ones escaping. Adrian, Christian, and James were waiting for us. The two dhampirs that stood guard to only let certain people, anything not strigoi, in and out were unconscious. Adrian must have told James and Christian just went to Adrian when I woke him up. "Ready for another adventure _Caccia_?"

I nodded as we climbed in a truck that James had waiting to the side of the gate. He drove, Lissa and Christian rode in the cab, while Eddie, Adrian and I sat in the truck bed. To any passerby we would look like teenagers on their way to a party. And so we ventured out into the world once again for our next adventure. I had a feeling I may never graduate at this rate.

--------

We didn't stop driving until we were sure we were far enough that the academy wouldn't find us immediately. Then we ditched the truck on the side of the road and walked to an Inn. The sun was taking its toll on the royals; we would need to find them feeders soon. I could help one maybe, but three? I had to stay strong if we were going to get through this.

The Inn lobbyist was in her mid thirties. Her hair was curly and twisted into weird knot atop her head. Big black-rimmed glasses sat on her tanned nose and her cheeks smacked the gum she was chewing. Adrian got us the key to the biggest room they had. Number four was on the second floor; don't ask me how they came up with that logic. There were two rooms of the main; each room had a full bed and a couch or chair. The main room contained a sofa with a pullout bed in front of the television that only got three news channels and nothing else. We closed all the drapes, leaving the room dimmed with only one lamp per room as any light. It didn't matter though; our super night vision came in handy.

Lissa and Christian took one room, Eddie volunteered for the pullout bed already. It was between sharing with James or Adrian, so I made them pick a number from one to ten. I was thinking of eight, whoever was closest got to choose. Adrian blurted three before I was done asking the question. James stared at me for a whole minute before saying seven. "James's wins. I'm getting some sleep. I walked to the room and fell onto the bed. I left them to their little stare down.

I'd nearly fallen asleep when I heard the door creak shut and James slip into the covers. "Just like old times," he said, chuckling. "Good night my _Caccia_." He kissed my hair and rolled over to his side. I fell asleep soundly and woke up curled into James' side. It was like old times, I had always turned to him for comfort during my last vacation.

My vacations were turning into a bit of a pattern. I wondered if Kirova would actually let me back in if we ever got the chance to go back. _Oh well, when it comes down to that, then we worry._

I was the first to wake up, as usual. It was 7p.m. but the sun hadn't gone all the way down. I found paper and pens in the bedside drawer and started jotting down ideas. Where to get blood, where to go, what to do when we got there. Things like that. The others woke up an hour or so later. I was glad everyone got some sleep after our night/day. James made a quick run to a jiffy mart and brought back chips, water, and beef jerky. Adrian made calls to find any place with feeders where we could stay inconspicuously. We didn't need any Guardians showing up and dragging us back because someone opened their big mouth. Lissa and Christian found comfort just sitting together, never leaving the other's side. Eddie stayed near the door a lot, checking windows, watching everything. He was going to make a great guardian if I didn't already ruin his chances b letting him come.

"What are we going to do about it Rose?" Lissa asked me at one point. "If he's really coming back then he's gonna have an army. Who's to say he won't attack the school anyway just to find us gone? What's his next move? We're the only ones that can stop him. It's up to us to stop this all."

"They've started a new war," Christian said.

"No," I interjected. "This war has been going on forever, we're just the new players. Maybe we can stop it for good. But we're going to need some help, we can't do it all alone. Hand me the phone," I told Adrian. He tossed it and I caught it and began dialing numbers.

If he wanted a war, he was going to get one.

**Hahaha. I left you hanging again. Still don't know what's going on? Well that's the point. You have to figure it out or wait and wonder for more. I really do love the reviews and the more I get the faster I feel like updating because people are reading. So push the magical button and review and Ill be back=))**


	23. Silhouette

**Srry it took a while=( R&R and srry its a little short next one will be longer but this was the end of the scene in my head.**

**Rose's POV**

I called in everyone I could think of, including the Belikovs and each and every contact I'd made during my last trip. Then I made James call in anyone he could think of, Adrian too, not that there were that many. Once we'd gone through any and all available contacts I wasn't surprised to have the phone ring.

The number wasn't one that we'd called but it had a foreign are code. I answered it, hoping for one of the friends I'd made in Russia, Italy or anywhere else. But when I answered, I was surprised to hear that it wasn't anyone I recognized. "Rosemarie Hathaway you've had your mother and the academy worried. You, the princess, Ishkov, Castile, Ozera, and Marone are to return to the academy at once. Get out of that stingy motel and back to where you belong. You're lucky that you aren't expelled. Your mind would spin on how many favors I had to call in to get them to let you stay. You will go back and you will do it now! Or we will drag you back."

My mind flipped over and rolled on its side… "I don't know who your are and I honestly don't care. We're not going back. I'm doing the one thing none of you could ever manage to do. Protect Lissa. Protect everyone. We can't go back, we won't." I dropped the hone to the floor and stomped on it a few times. "They'll try and track it," I said answering stares.

"Rose," Lissa groaned from the couch. After so many calls it had been hours and she'd fallen asleep in Christians arms. I noticed her face to pale, even for a vampire; her eyes were shot and her voice croaky. She hadn't fed in days. She needed blood.

"Shhh. It's okay Liss. You can use me but we have to find feeders." I looked at Adrian, he'd found a club that we could get into and get them fed. I pulled up my sleeve and held it to Lissa's mouth. She hesitated at first but bit hard when she smelled the blood coursing through my veins. I flinched in pain but moaned as the endorphins kicked in. She stopped once she had enough energy to move though color still hadn't returned to her cheeks. "Let's go. You guys need blood. James will drive Adrian you direct." I made everyone get moving out the door and downstairs into the truck.

---

We were in and out in half an hour. I didn't want to stay there and raise anyone's suspicion so we left. It was dark, but my strigoi detector would let us know if any real danger approached. Meanwhile we drove back, everyone back to full strength, to the motel where once again headed for the hay. I crashed onto the bed and instantly fell asleep.

I woke up an hour later curled up in James embrace. I smiled at the though that he still held me so close. As slowly and gently as I could possibly manage I wriggled out of his arms and off the bed. He twitched, yawned, rolled over and drifted away again. I walked over to the window and looked out into the dark sky. It was the early hours of the morning and birds still hadn't come out but something else did.

Not a strigoi. A shadow.

I stared across the street until the silhouette of a man became clearer than a blur of trees. He stood there, head tilted up at the window staring back at me. I flashed back to the first night I'd met Dimitri, how I fought and lost. We ran and couldn't make it. There was no doubt in my mind that, whoever they were, they were from the academy. I stepped back and closed the curtains. I threw myself at James to wake him up. It wasn't hard; we sat up a little flustered and saw the worry in my face. "They found us. We have to run. We have to try, go!"

We ran out of the room only to be stopped by the sound of the door whooshing open and padded feet rushing in. Twelve guardians dressed in all black, stakes attached to belts, and faces covered with masks. They flooded the hotel room and secured the moroi and Eddie. James refused to be touched, though he did not fight. They left me completely alone. James and I stood at the door to our room staring down the guards that held friends. In only seconds, though, the atmosphere changed. Hostility morphed into obedience. The guards settled though they didn't not relax from their job. It all happened the second a thirteenth set of feet stepped through the doorframe. His face was pale, a moroi with a fanged smile. He was middle aged with dark crow hair and his eyes gleamed, staying professional however his smile drooped and he glared. His flashy clothes made him look a little off in the setting but very much in control. A bluefish-green scarf wrapped his neck atop a leathery jacket and hundred dollar slacks.

I did know him. "Zmey?"

"Hello Rosemarie."

---

Abe Mazur was a contact I'd made in Russia. While searching for Dimitri I'd met an alchemist named Sydney. Nice girl, a hum. You see humans have been working for us for years. They're branded with gold tattoos are ours and work under Abe. Alchemists took care of the after slays, they acted as vampire cleaners to get rid of strigoi bodies. It's something they're born into, they do not choose it, and most of them hate it and us. But I had befriended Sydney.

Abe was the leader of the alchemists. He was just about as powerful as the queen, I called him the vampire mob boss of the century. He'd helped me out of some trouble in Russia. One incident being with Vikki. When she was going to a blood whorehouse to meet her boyfriend I disapproved. Abe sent one of his men to threaten Roman as a favor to me. Vikki hated me for it but she'd gotten over it soon enough. When I talked to her and Dimitri's mother on the phone she told me that Vikki really missed me.

Abe was always suave. Even in the hottest weather you could probably find him in a leather jacket and slacks looking all intimidating and scary. He had some weird sense of fashion that could obviously never be broken. Though, he was kind of mob boss-y, Abe was a pretty good guy. At least to me he was. To everyone else he had a bad reputation for doing whatever it took to get his way.

"Ohmygod!" Adrian's sputtered as he stared agape at my favorite Zmey. "I thought you were a legend!"

"Not a legend my Lord, just a mystery," Abe said smoothly. "I told you on the phone I would bring you back there myself. Should have listened." Crap!

"Ibrahim Mazur… Never thought I'd actually get to meet you," James corked. The name sent off bells. I knew the name. Though I'd only ever heard it once, I would always remember my only real clue. The queen had said it once in her chamber. Ibrahim, Abe. It seemed so simple when you put them together. I mentally kicked myself for not realizing it sooner. The hair, they same dark eyes. Turkish. Always like winning and getting his way. We were so much alike I couldn't even comprehend…

I found my father.

**Hey guys. Thx for reading again. Ill UD cause I already have something in mind so yeah=) please click the magic button and review cause it makes meel feel better to see that someones read and cared to reveiw **


	24. We always end up here

**Well guys I'm back again for 24. And I'm coming up with more and more one the way. Remember to review and let me know what you want to see. Got any ideas to spice things up? Anything's welcome criticism, suggestions, pairings, I like hearing what you guys got to say and the more the merrier and the faster I post. So R&R and I will be back soon=) **

**Rose's POV**

Somehow I always seemed to end up on somebody's list or in the back of a black van. Abe definitely didn't travel light. He had many Guardians and three black vans that he used to split the six of us up into two a car so we couldn't conspire again. No matter that I'd already started planning escape, but why'd everyone always expect the worst from me. Every single time…

I sat next to the window with Christian at my side and a Guardian at his. Abe sat in the passenger seat while one of his little minions drove lead back to the academy. Christian and I refused to speak. Abe kept quiet too. I was still in shock that Zmey was my father. I was miny Zmey. Zmey junior. My father was a mob boss that dumped my mother before I was born. Did he know? Probably. Did he care? Questionable.

When we got to the academy Alberta met us at the gate and forced all of us students to our rooms. We were all assigned detention and community service for the rest of the year. Not that we would be staying that long. I had to break Lissa out again, without all the baggage. We had to get out before he came. I couldn't let the school be destroyed, people would die; I would not have more blood on my hands. Mason was enough.

We would have to move soon, get out as soon as possible. Last time it was the heat of the moment, this time I would have more time to plan, like the first time. Only this time they wouldn't find us. The academy spent moths teaching us how to stay out of sight, to take care of ourselves. If I didn't want us to be found, we wouldn't. Ever again.

-----

Christian and I went back to his dorm. Most people would think we just ditched school for a few days. It was only Wednesday and when we woke up it would have only been two days vampire time. Christian went to sleep immediately but I stayed awake. I sat against the wall on the mattress thinking of new ways of escape. I thought about Abe too, wondering if Janine was still around, if they would run into each other, what would happen. I also thought about them.

He was coming back, with Niefro, with more power than ever before and there was nothing I could do to stop him. I could kill him but someone else would just take his place. Everyone was always after the last of the Dragomir line and her best friend/ Guardian. I'd called in reinforcements. They would sty put, but ready whenever I called again. The Belikovs, a few rogues I'd met in Russia, a few more in Canada. A group of Guardians in Mexico, even my personal alchemist, Sydney. James called in a few friends from England and many more he'd met around the world.

If he was coming with an army we were going to be ready for him. We would not fail this time. If they brought the fight to us, we were ending it. I hoped deep in my gut it would never come to that, that Lissa and I would get away clean and not even _he_ could find us.

I woke up in the morning to a knock at the door. When I went to answer it all I found was an envelope taped to the door. I tore it off and closed the door. Christian was awake too. "Read it," he said. I shrugged and tore open the seal. I expected another note from Niefro but it was unsigned, though I could figure who had written it.

_Rosemarie Hathaway,_

_ By now you must have heard of my return. I must say I'm disappointed in the news I've heard about you. Running away again? Tsk tsk. Though I might say you're getting quite good at it. One of these times I don't expect you and the princess will return. But ah, that is not the reason of this notice._

_ My friend has informed me of the note you have already received and no doubt of my news has things stirring up around there. I wanted to confirm to you in my own words that I am coming. Coming soon._

_ Go ahead and alert the forces, it won't do you much good. By now I'm sure you've learned that something as simple as a few Guardians isn't going to hold me back. When you set your mind to something, anything is possible. As well you should know._

_ The time has come again, for us to re-meet. I will see you all very, very soon. I hope your intently waiting because I know I'm quite excited for you to join the ranks._

_ Soon, my dear._

I shouldn't have been surprised. He liked these stupid games of his. It only confirmed everything I already thought I had to get Lissa and get out We wouldn't have much time so we would have to work fast It has to be in the next week or something bad may happen. Something I would be able to stop this time.

-----

Christian and I got dressed before going to breakfast with Lissa and Eddie. Adrian didn't join us and James was nowhere to be seen. The twins, Evan and Zane sat with us as usual but no one seemed to speak once. They seemed to know something bad was amiss without anyone saying anything.

I followed Sparky through class, lunch detention and class again. We were attacked during one passing period but it barely took me a few seconds to stake the highly slow Stan. It was hardly any accomplishment to any kill I'd made. All of my tattooed back proved that. Christian only spoke when a teacher required it but stayed as silent as he used to be most of the day. Dinner was the same as our last two meals, the feeders went by quick and easy and we later all met up by the pond away from any possible eavesdroppers.

I refused to say anything around the guys, they would want to tag along and it wasn't happening. I would tell Lissa in private later. Instead we sat together and worried about the same thing we'd all feared for a long time. It had been a long senior year and it was getting worse and worse with every day. It seemed as if something had chosen us and only us to have all this crap dumped on which resulted in our crapshoot lives.

I only wished for a day we could be normal again. Go back to our old lives just for a day of pure bliss. Of normality.

Not likely.

Lissa and Christian wrapped up together; Eddie and I sat to the side playing an epic game of rock paper scissors. It was only when Eddie and I were getting way too into it and acting crazy that we all decided we were too bored for words and headed for the church to start our late night community service.

We cleaned the church from head to toe, attic and main floor. Something that wasn't new to me. I talked to Lissa a bit but we were split up by tasks and working too hard to care. The sooner we got done the sooner we got to sleep. We went past curfew and were escorted to our rooms. Nobody had to Guard on Fridays, we had classes, and so we went to our own rooms to sleep. I relished my own bed again and fell asleep fast with no dreams awaiting my early training with Alberta in the morning and boring classes during the day. It was not a day to look forward to.

**Hola people I would now like to make it very pointedly clear that I have not yet revealed who it is that is conspiring with Niefro there have been real hints and false hints as to who it'll be to keep you all guessing Some of you may be thinking right some not but I haven't seen much guessing and I would like to. Lol review please=))33**


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